Hi no Himitsu The Fire's Secret
by firesenshi
Summary: Reincarnation story.Manga based: Rei defies her father's wishes and meets Jadeite now reborn as Kamui, son of her father's political rival. Will past memories rekindle in the present world? Has vignettes of all senshi&shittenou. CHAP 28 UP!
1. Appendix: Author's Notes

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Author's Notes**

  
I thought I'd make a story of what would happen if the generals were reincarnated in present-day Tokyo. What would they be like? They wouldn't be named Jadeite, Nephrite, et al of course because the senshi and Mamoru had different names when they were reincarnated. Will they still be students? Or are they working? 

Besides, Naoko Takeuchi, in the manga, actually opened up this fact in the _Barazuishou_ period in R. There is a great possibility that the generals were also reincarnated since Beryl most probably only used their past beings. (That's why they're still called Jadeite etc., in their uniforms with their normal powers, and didn't have present names as the senshi and Mamoru.)

So I played on that great manga possibility. It's too good to pass up. 

I figured that I write another story after being inspired by the SNES game, "_Sailormoon: Another Story."_ And also because I've always been found wanting of the story Naoko Takeuchi abandoned after making the artwork on the senshi and generals. Personally, I'd rather she concentrated on that rather than the last boring season. 

Anyway, you may find a lot of terms here in Japanese since the setting of the story is in present-day Tokyo. Actually, if we're going to be technical about it, Rei Hino and the Inner Senshi would be 26 by now... BUT... I'm setting this 5 years after Galaxia. That means they're 20 years old in this story. And I'll be focusing on Rei and Jadeite. I will only include vignette stories of the other senshi. 

As to why I made the current situation of each senshi, I based it on 1) the manga and 2) Japanese society. Not all Japanese go to college after high school because 1) it's very expensive and 2) it's very very hard to enter college. 

If you find Japanese terms in the later chapters, go check back here and I'll try to update this every chapter I make and add more of the terms I used. 

ALSO, I'm not very good at description. ^^;; Possibly because I skip those parts when I read or am just lazy at it. In case, I suffer from _binetsu_ though, I might include a few! -_^

................................

By the way, since this is a reincarnation story, the generals are not named Jadeite, Nephrite, etc. In SM first season, Beryl used the forms of the generals way back in the Silver Millenium. Therefore, I'm basing this on the manga for season R where there is a hint that they are reincarnated. And therefore, when they're reincarnated, they're using the names in present-day Tokyo. For example, Endymion is Mamoru. I was thinking that you read through and figure out who was who but that would be hard. So I'll place the names for the generals here anyway ^_^:

**Jadeite** = Kamui Asano  
**Nephrite **= Sanjounin Masato   
**Zoicite** = Soujirou Nishimura  
**Kunzite** = Kenta Maeda  


*I didn't get this names elsewhere. I just got them from various sources. Any differences to any fanfiction or real events are purely coincidental.

................................

**Seijin no Hi.** (Coming of age day. Usually January 15. When people in Japan turn 20 and are now classified as adults. Women wear nice kimono, go to the shrine, take a picture and usually get drunk since they're allowed to drink beer then.)

**ronin.** (Originally, a masterless samurai, but can now refer to people who are still trying to enter the college of their choice. Usually repeat taking entrance exams every year, until they enter university.)

**miko.** Shrine Priestess in Shinto religion.

**hakama**. The pants worn by a miko.

**_Daijoubu_. **In texts here, normally means, "Are you alright?"

**Hana-mi.** (lit. Flower viewing.) The time in spring when people would wait for the first sakura (cherry blossoms) to bloom. They usually have picnics under the trees.

**Omedetou Tanjoubi**. (Japanese greeting) Happy Birthday!

omiai. an omiai is like an arranged form of meeting where a go-between or matchmaker called a nakodo will arrange a meeting between a guy and a girl. They will then see if they are compatible with each other and be well-suited for marriage. This has become quite acceptable in Japan

Ara! Oh!

Honto?! Really?

Sou ka... /Sou ne... / Sou desu ne... Is that so? (based on context)

Anoo.... Umm... 

takarazaku. Women's theater. A play/musical where that cast only women and where they played the roles of men.

Uso / Usotsoki. LIe/Liar   



	2. 00: Prologue

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Prologue **

  
_Sangatsu. Nijuyuyokka. (24 March)_

"Ohayoo...." Rei Hino sleepily muttered, stretched on the soft covers of her futon. 

The clock said it was 6:00 am. She woke up thirty minutes later than usual. She smiled as she noticed the bubbly grimace of Minako from a photograph taken last January. It was a picture of the five of them, taken last _Seijin no Hi_. Minako smiled and winked at the camera, doing the usual "V" sign with her fingers as she squeezed herself between Makoto and Rei. Ami stood at the far right, smiling demurely at her friend's antics while Usagi stood in the middle, her hands holding melted ice cream. 

_Ojii-san_ made Rei wear a prized red silk kimono with prints of sakura blossoms and a stylish maroon obi. He said one's coming of age is special so it is only appropriate that she wear her mother's kimono. It was only now that she realized, seeing that picture, how beautiful that kimono was as it stood from the rest of her friends'. Her mother had a lot of kimonos, but this was the one she wore during her Engagement Party. 

_"Nee... how beautiful she must have looked!"_ she remembered Usagi as saying, rubbing her hands on the special kimono Rei wore. "_This must've been expensive!"_

Rei didn't really care. If it wasn't for _ojii-san_'s wishes, she would've worn her own kimono, however less attractive they are. The thought of carrying on the memory of the day her mother married her father made her irritable. Ever since Kaidou-san married, she had less and less contact with her father. His new assistant, a woman named Ono Kagura, came to Hikawa Jinja every month just to deliver the check for her and her _ojii-san, _sometimes with a few gifts as if her father treated her like one of his political retainers rather than as his daughter. 

Ono-san wouldn't even look at her even if Rei looked back at her straight in the eye, as was polite. She was definitely dozens of levels less attractive than her mother and seemed to lack the proper manners. He spoke tritely to her _ojii-san_,always in a hurry to get out of their residence in Hikawa Jinja. 

_Maybe the spirits wanted her exorcised out of the shrine immediately_, Rei thought mischievously. 

One spring during her senior year in high school, Ono-san made an unexpected call at the shrine. Carrying an attacheé case instead of just a small envelope she used to deliver, Ono-san said she wanted to talk to Rei alone. It was clear that this kind of serious meeting was one specifically required from her father. Ono-san drew the contents of her attacheé case. There were brochures and tons of forms for Rei to fill out. 

"Please fill out the forms so I can submit them immediately," Ono-san instructed as she handed out her pen.  
  
Rei fixed her eyes directly on the forms, ignoring Ono-san's outstretched arm over them. Skimming at the documents, she then took thickest in the pile with a big pencil _batsu_ mark on the box that said, "School of Political Science."   
  
"That's the course your father wants you to take in Waseda Daigaku," Ono-san told her as if on cue. "He took Law in the same school when he was your age but he thinks Political Science is the best one for you."  
  
The first thought Rei had on her mind was to burn the documents in front of her by throwing it into the fire. The first time her father showed he cared for her was also the first time he was planning her life. But what good would that do? In front of her was merely the distressing stern image of who could be her father's mistress and she was only the messenger. And Political Science? When did her father realize that that is what she wanted? 

"No," Rei answered.  
  
"No?"  
  
"No," she repeated. "I shall complete these forms and submit them myself. Thank you for your assistance, Ono-san."  
  
"B-but... your father wants--"  
  
"Don't worry, Ono-san. It's not like he has no means of knowing when I go to Waseda anyway." Rei stood, carrying all the documents with her. A cue for Ono-san to leave. 

And there was nothing Ono-san could do. She was, afterall, just a messenger.   
  
Rei made sure she did not have to see that woman go out the door. She quickly went inside the meditation room and laid the forms on the floor one by one until they were all lined up on the floor forming a path. She made sure she read each one intently. It was almost morning, when she took the most important form and marked the box she really wanted to mark with a bright red _maru. _

Today marks the second spring of her "little" rebellion, her second year in Waseda. Asian Philosophy. Her father's dissatisfied remarks were probably reflected mostly in Ono-san's phone call. The lecture on "deceiving" her (as if, Rei really wanted to deceive Ono Kagura instead of her father), as well as not conforming to her father's recommendation... no, the perfect course that will best benefit her when she goes out into the world lasted about twenty minutes. Rei actually saw that it was better this way -- Ono-san not seeing her evil grin and her getting what she wanted. Sometimes she would envy Usagi, even though she's a _rounin_ for the second year in a row, for having the freedom she wanted right from the start. The only real reason she received no other objection from the side of her father was the fact that the degree she chose was not a bad alternative to Political Science after all. 

"The morning should be good," she yawned, still staring at their _Seijin no Hi _ picture. "Start of spring break."

..................................................................

"Konnichiwa, Mako-chaaaan!!!"   
  
It was Minako's usual perky voice so early at noon. After fixing the knives in the cupboard, she turned around to see Minako, but she was already helping herself to the leftovers made by her students. Today's lesson was basic Chinese dumpling and it would be a shame to bother Minako who was already enjoying it.

"Mako-chan! These aren't as good as yours!" Minako muttered, still chewing.   
  
Makoto smiled. At least she can tell her students that somebody at least enjoyed their cooking because her friend munched crazily on their "rejects." 

Minako was carrying a huge plastic folder and Makoto can see some magazine clippings inside. That was one nice thing about Minako. She is genuinely fascinated in everything from idol posters to the idea of Rei actually farting (if polished private school girls really did, or at least she wondered.) And going straight with the thing she loved the most, she has firmly decided that she would not give up her idol search. Or the hopes of actually being one. Her days consisted of bothering Makoto in the morning after her cooking classes and going to auditions and production meetings in the afternoon. 

"Where are you going today, Minako-chan?" Makoto asked.   
  
It was only that time that Minako abandoned all the free food in front of her and rushed towards Makoto, opening the plastic folder she held. She dangled the newspaper clipping in front of her friend and happily declared, "I am going to join this one!! _Sugoiiiiii, nee?_"

It read: "STAFF WANTED: Japanese adaptation for English play."

"But I thought you wanted to be an idol, Minako-chan?"  
  
Minako frowned and sighed. "Auditioning takes a very long time... BESIDES.... i'm overeraged now -_-;;; .... this will help me be close to those _kakkoii_ actor _bishounen_, ne??"   
  
"^^;;; Eh... _hontou desu yo_...." Makoto answered.   
  
"I'm going to be part of the production staff! Maybe help with the actors! Maybe be assigned in their dressing rooms! And soon.... " Her eyes glowed. "... Maybe they'll discover me and make me an actress too!!" Minako giggled. Then she looked at Makoto and held her arm tight. "Ne... Mako-chan... will you please go with me?"  
  
"Eh? What about Usagi-chan? Isn't she usually free?"  
  
"She's going to review classes today. I told her maybe she can ask help from Ami-chan so she won't be a _ronin_ anymore... except Ami-chan is still catching up with her professors at Tokyo Tech."   
  
"Hai, hai...." Makoto sighed at the choices. "Ok then, Minako-chan. I'll go with you. But I have to be back by 3 pm for my other class. I can't be late for my students."  
  
"No problem!" Minako exclaimed as she raised another paper clipping from her folder. She thrust the piece of paper in Makoto's hand and pointed to the photograph in the clipping. Makoto can't really see what he looked like because the size of the photograph was small, but she could make a face out of his long, straight hair and indifferent smile. And she can tell Minako seemed happy with it though, her eyes misted and her lips almost drooling from that one little image. 

"Kenta Maeda," Minako breathed heavily after she spoke his name. "They say he's a model from Australia!"

- tsuzuku -


	3. 01: Arrival

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 1 - Arrival**

**Jisho Dictionary:  
BIJIN **beauty**  
********EETO ... ** Well... **  
DAIJOBU DESU KA? **Are you alright? **  
DOKO DESU KA? ** Where are you?**  
DOSHITE **why **  
GOMEN NE **Very sorry**  
HAI **Yes**  
HARU GA UTSKUSHII **_spring is beautiful... _**  
HIMITSU **Secret**   
HONTOU **Really?**  
ITTAI **ouch!**  
KAWAII **Cute**  
KEISATSU **police**  
MATTAKU **goodness' sakes (lit. quite, entirely) **  
MOCHIRON **of course! **  
MOSHI MOSHI **Hello? (Telephone greeting) **  
NANI DESU KA? **what is that?**  
SHOUNEN **guy**  
SOSHITE **then**  
USHIRO E **At the back   
**YOKATTA** yay!

(Remember: Kamui Asano Jadeite; Kenta Maeda Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato Nephrite. See Author's Notes on why these names.)

* * *

_Sangatsu. Nijuyuyokka. (24 March)_

"Kamui-dono!"

Akira Nishida lowered his head as an attractive stewardess passed by the corridor where he stood. He nodded his head to improvise a bow to acknowledge her presence and for the inconvenience of the noise he made. It was about the fifteenth trip he made to the door of the restroom and he was embarassed to go back there again in case people might think he was having diarrhea. The stewardess who passed by smiled politely and pointed towards the other end of the plane, mouthing the words "_Ushiro e,"_ (At the back) where the restroom was. Nishida turned a few shades of red and turned his gaze at the door of the current restroom where he stood.

"Kamui-dono!" he coughed, raising his voice just a little. "Kamui-dono!"

His mind was instantly frantic with frightening thoughts at what could have happened to the master. Maybe he had a heart attack? A heart attack at only 22 with an active lifestyle like that? Or maybe there were attempts to mug him like what happened in Florence? Yes! Mugging inside an airplane! Maybe he had caught a rare disease while mountain climbing in Nepal or a rare deadly virus from any of its neighboring countries. These things happen to seasoned travellers!

But like all logical men of profession, Nishida erased all thoughts of paranoia and tried hard to reason with himself. There must be a very logical explanation why his master took so long in the restroom of an airplane. The simplest one could be that his master was obsessed about being clean. So Nishida began to fixate his thoughts on what the elder Asano would tell him if anything happened to his only son and heir. He would only send the entire Tokyo police on Nishida's house while he would be quietly sipping ramen and torturing him with a _bokken_ while sitting on his carefully ironed uniform.

"Kamui-dono!" he called for the third time, knocking loudly at the door.

_Click._

_Yokatta..._

Nishida was quite relieved at the sound of the door's hinge whining. His master clasped the folds of his red puffer vest as he emerged from his 'Nishida hiding place.' Briskly combing his short, wavy hair with his fingers and then wiping traces of water he splashed on his face, he looked as casual as if he was not aware that someone was impatiently waiting for him for thirty minutes.

"Don't worry, Nishida. It's not like I have a girl in there," was his answer to Nishida's inquiring stare.

Nishida raised an eyebrow.

"Ok. At least I haven't tried that one yet," his master shrugged, the left side of his mouth raised to form a smirk.

Nishida let his master see him shake his head in disappointment but didn't let him see his smile of amusement when he turned to return to his seat. _If we are going to entrust the entire fate of Japan in the Asano family, at least our future will be quite amusing_, he thought to himself.

The younger Asano was pleased to see that the loyal family retainer accompanying him was not as uptight as the ones surrounding his father. The little moment actually gave him a mixed sense of gratitude and guilt. So as soon as he saw Nishida safely returning to his seat, he threw the entire pack of cigarettes hidden inside his vest in the compact trash bin. Returning to Japan for a grand meeting with his father was a moment where careless mistakes were not allowed, especially for kind Nishida. He would not _want_ those.

And besides, there were only two sticks left in the pack.

"Oi Kenta-kun, didn't you hear that our good friend Kamui is coming back to Japan?"

His new laser blue compact mobile phone had a label of his name, Soujirou, at the back of its case for easier identification. And when Soujirou meant _easier identification, _it meant people passing by would not have to ask for his name. It actually worked. So instead of using the landline at his dorm, he was just outside the University Hall of Tokyo Tech. He could just imagine an image of his own self right then, coolly leaning against the sakura tree... his long and wavy light brown locks touching his dewy cheeks as it was being swept by the wind. _Ahh... haru ga utsukushii..._

"I see..."

"Isn't any one of us going to at least welcome him home?" Soujirou continued to ask, used to his friend's indifference.

"_Eeto... _When is he coming home?"

"His flight from LA is today. Maybe after the whole of Japan welcomes him as some sort of Crown Prince, I can ask him to go out with us. Maybe watch Sanjou-kun's concert."

On the other end of Soujirou's line, his friend Kenta was holding yesterday's newspaper, reading the page with the ad that read: "STAFF WANTED: Japanese adaptation for English play." His precise reason for going back to Japan. They haven't told him what his role was for that project at this time. It could be a lowly stagehand for all he cares, but as soon as he received the phone call, he knew it was one of those signs that he had to go back to Japan. He just had to heed its call. And it did seem as if all the omens were pointing to it after receiving the news about Kamui, a friend he had not seen for years after moving to Australia after junior high.

"Oi... Kenta-kun! _Moshi-moshi?_" Soujirou's high-pitched call woke him up from his trance.

"_Hai, Soujirou-kun," _Kenta answered. "I have to go and take care of things. Inform me as soon as there are concrete plans."

_Click._

_"Maa... maa..._what about that? Hanging up all of a sudden?" Soujirou grimaced in disappointment. He clasped the receiver of his phone and stared at the blue label that bore his name. He sighed at the lack of things to do after that. Apart from being excited at an old friend's return, there was nothing else to do. He began to envy Sanjou's life -- he had absolutely no worries of being in college and knew how to waste all his free time. He never did know how to waste good time. Tsk tsk. _Spring break._ _And there aren't a lot of people in Tokyo Tech._

In the meantime, he did not notice how ineffective his scheme of gaining popularity was upon the observation of two people who just passed by... especially since he was busy wasting ten minutes of Kenta's time.

Ami Mizuno tried to look straight at Tokyo Tech's University Hall, pretending to enjoy the breeze that the sakura trees wanted to entice. Only her friend, Mariko, knew that her companion was trying her best to look discreetly with her peripheral vision at the _kawaii shounen _who leaned against one of the sakura trees when they walked past.

"_Eh_... Ami-chan," Mariko nudged with her elbow. "Did you find out what the guy's name was? I think it's hugely pasted on his phone!" Mariko giggled.

"There's no need to, Mariko-chan," Ami told her in a matter-of-fact tone. "His name and picture is posted in the bulletin board as one of the winning thesis in Engineering."

"_Hontou?"_ Mariko's eyes widened in surprise.

"Nishimura... Soujirou."

...

"Nishida?"

"_Hai?_"

"_Koko wa... doko desu ka?_" Kamui asked indifferently as he took out a pair of shades from the pocket of his puffer vest.

Nishida stared looked from behind the tinted car window to see that familiar surroundings indicating that they were only a few kilometers away from home. "I think we are at Sendai Hill, Kamui-dono," he said, after assessing the surroundings.

"Sendai Hill? Isn't there a shrine near here?"

_Mochiron. _That's what Nishida wanted to say to the younger Asano. Only two weeks out of Japan from the his last trip and it sounded like he forgot where everything was already. Instead, he just replied, "_Hai, _Kamui-dono. Hikawa Jinja."

Nishida noticed how the young master casually fidgeted with the pocket of his pants, concealing the act of searching for a cigarette stick. He wondered why Kamui had to keep that one a secret all this time when Nishida almost always knew what he was up to from the time Kamui missed the welcoming banquet for his father's bid for re-election to the time he thought Kamui ran away to miss his entrance examination for law school, only to show up at the university ten minutes before Nishida did. Then again, he thought that the younger Asano's semi-discreet antics and actually getting away with it only proved that he was more cunning, more clever and even more charismatic than his father. There were times he even managed to talk himself out of handing late important papers with known strict professors.

_Soshite_, there is absolutely no doubt about it. It is the younger Asano who would make a better politician than the elder Asano. _Mattaku! _The future of Japan...

It gets even more complicated within Nishida's mind when he thinks that Kamui probably knows he is ever watchful and that he can read his every move, or at least Kamui knows Nishida thinks he does. When one is that experienced, one just shows to conceal his "known mischief" like a magician employing misdirection on his audience, only to surprise them with the real trick behind it later on. And that is exactly what Kamui does to him, such as that small incident this morning on the plane.

"Hikawa ... Jinja ..." Kamui repeated Nishida's words. _Four more blocks after the this traffic and only about 15 minutes away. It's a good thing I threw those cigarettes..._

"Nishida." Kamui called. "Let's stop by Hikawa Jinja for awhile."

"Sanjounin Masato-san?"

"_Hai_."

Sanjou-kun had tied his long, dark auburn waves with a guitar string, an improvisation for lack of rubber bands in his new apartment. Maybe there were actually a few rubber bands somewhere among the boxes that were piled up but he had no time to go search through all of them. Here, he was signing another box he had couriered three months ago. Moving from Sapporo to Tokyo, where he grew up, had been very hard. Life in Tokyo would never compare to the peaceful Northern Japan where the audience who went to his performances were small but more appreciative. But then Ein, who was in Azabu, told him that the pay was definitely better in Tokyo and that he had better pack up that instant and prepare for a good "repertoire" ... whatever that meant.

For Sanjou, Tokyo was definitely better than any district in Japan. He grew up in this city and its people were more liberal, especially when it came to art and music. He had only moved to Sapporo after high school for the work opportunity, a lead given to him by an enstranged human being lost on this Earth who called himself "Ein." Kamui, who introduced him to Sanjou, told him that Ein, whose real name was Tarou, was really Japanese. He only dyed his hair blonde, stayed in the tanning salon too much and burned his freckled skin to a crisp, had tons of plastic surgery and wore contact lenses that resembled cat's eyes. Very harmless, according to Kamui.

"But if Ein tells you of his involvement with the Yakuza, I''ll let my father's bodyguards beat him up legally with the _keisatsu_ watching so we can get rid of those weird delusions," Kamui assured him.

Sanjou was used to meeting all kinds of strange people since he was, after all, a musician who have been performing in various clubs since high school, but no one would ever beat Kamui for his penchant in knowing almost everyone important in Japan, however reclusive they might be. And now, it seemed likely that he was going to meet Kamui again since Ein told him that it looked as if Kamui, who was coming back from L.A., wouldn't be travelling as often as he usually did.

"Please sign here," the postman instructed him.

Sanjou already knew where to put that box. It would go to the same pile that had been staying against the right wall in his kitchen for two months. That was the last thing he wanted to be shipped and it contained all his shoes. That was a good thing. He had been using the same pair of shoes since he moved last winter, the coldest month. All his important belongings were safely placed in the bedroom, out of their boxes, and settling quite nicely. He was sure he was not the only guy who slept with his instruments.

He opened the forlorn box and drew the first pair of shoes he got from the pile to replace the worn out shoes from winter. Carrying the box on his right shoulder, he turned around to look around his similarly worn-out apartment -- piled up boxes, plastic cups of instant ramen in the sink, all of his jackets on the sofa (so he could easily grab one whenever he went out) ...

_"Mattaku!"_ Sanjounin Masato shook his head in disgust for the very mess he left standing for two months. "I need a woman in here."

Now he sounded like Soujirou.

...

"Nishida." Kamui began, before the loyal Asano retainer was reaching for the door handle. "I would like to go to Hikawa Jinja alone."

"_Doshite... Kamui-dono?" _

"To pray," the young master answered simply.

"To pray?" Nishida tried hard to hide both his laughter and his astonishment.

"Well? What does one do at Hikawa Jinja?"

Seeing that the young master was serious, Nishida did not bother to protest. He did bother to place his hand on the door handle that time as a last effort to persuade Kamui, at which he was instructed not to do, of course. Besides, the shrine seemed safe and they were only a few blocks away from his home.

Kamui put on his pair of light shades as soon as he stepped out of the car, and didn't look back at Nishida. He climbed the long steps of the shrine slowly, leisurely taking his time to delay returning back home and meeting with his father. While he had no problems being a political heir since he himself was very much bent on pursuing the same path, he wanted to show that he could make it on his own. His professors said that he had a lot of potential and great insight, but those who knew his father told him that he differed greatly in almost every political aspect his father supported. What worried him actually was that his father always welcomed a challenge, even if it were from his very own son, which was actually the very trait that granted him one of the top posts in the LP party.

Therefore, coming home to Tokyo was like a finality instead of a milestone. To make it on his own, he had to find ways of defying the great Junichiro Asano from his wishes of Kamui going to Matsushita after graduating just last year from law to making his own son part of the esteemed LP party of the National Diet.

When one thought about it, it actually sounded like one he was turning down an offer for his weight in gold in exchange for simple freedom and pride. Kamui thought that the presence of politicans and himself earning a law degree in one of the best universities in Japan would actually make him callous and jaded, had he not been seeking for the same cliché longings.

_Ha!_ Kamui grinned at the thought. Anything that included the subject of politics sounded simple to an outsider. Nobody understood what he really felt.

He took a deep breath as soon as he reached the top of Hikawa Jinja, and noticed the two ravens that were perched on top of the _torii_ post at the entrance. The angry shrieking "Caw" of the ravens surprised him as he began to walk towards the sanctuary. Kamui stopped in his tracks, feeling a strong sense of _de ja vu_... as if the ravens had a pair of human eyes staring angrily at him as though he was a vicious intruder intending harm on their master.

"CAWWWW!"

"_Ittai!" _

Kamui crouched on his knees, shielding his eyes with his arms, as the two ravens swooped down and jabbed their sharp beaks at the back of his neck. He tried to cover any visible part of his skin with the thick vest he was wearing but they were faster than he was. As an instinct to defend himself, he straightened the palm of his right hand and tried to listen where one of them came from... and just a little more where he could deliver a fan hook punch...

"Phobos! Deimos!"

It was a female voice who halted all those attacks, and unfortunately, the sound of Kamui's saviour coincided with the sound of a sharp thud from the palm strike he had released. He heard the raven cry in pain before struggling to fly back towards its master.

She stood in front of him wearing the robes of a _miko_ and a scowl of wonder and suspicion. For his part, Kamui had nasty gashes on his arm, rips on the sleeves of his sweater, his hair completely disheveled and yet he felt compelled to apologize for that embarassing act he had just exhibited called 'animal cruelty.' He only cared of course, because he had never been embarassed before a beautiful woman before. The glare from her piercing purple eyes were surprisingly addicting.

"_Daijobu desu ka?"_ Rei thought it was only polite to ask since the visitor was hurt. But it was very strange that Phobos and Deimos would just attack a stranger if they did not sense anything wrong. However, she herself could not feel any dark aura about him. Despite the awkward predicament, he still stood on a proud stance. His hair ruffled in places fell on soft layered waves framing his chin, and his eyes were very comely. He looked strangely familiar, as if she had seen him on a magazine or a newspaper before. It was as though a celebrity had visited her very own shrine.

"_Gomen ne..._" Kamui replied. He was only able to voice his apology now after assessing the _bijin_ in front of him.

Rei saw that he was pulling the sleeve of his sweater to conceal the wound her ravens inflicted at the back of his left arm. She asked for him to wait and to sit at the steps of the shrine building. She went inside the house and returned with gauze and bandages.

"_Eeto..._ " Rei began, fixing her gaze straight on the hand she was wrapping with gauze. "I should be the one to say, "_Gomen nasai_." Phobos and Deimos probably thought you were someone else."

"Please think nothing of it," Kamui assured her. Not because that was his real opinion but because he was the type of a person who did not wish to waste time. Who would ever think that being attacked by ravens would be his very window of opportunity -- a sign from Buddha himself, especially at this one occasion where he actually chose to pray.

"My name is Asano Kamui. And you are--"

"Hino Rei _desu._"

_Rei_. Kamui thought that the name suited her really well.

...

"Kamui-dono! _Nani desu ka?" _Nishida frantically pointed at the small bandage on his hand.

"No need to worry about it, Nishida," Kamui calmly assured him. "I was simply attacked by ravens."

"Attacked by ravens... Kamui-dono... ?" Nishida raised an eyebrow.

Only the left corners of his mouth were raised and the young Asano's goofy smirk only meant one thing. _Himitsu desu_, his mischievous eyes seemed to say. Something told Nishida that they would be back soon at Hikawa Jinja.

She waited for a few minutes, seeing his blonde mane disappear after he descended the steps of Hikawa Jinja. Her sure signs that he was gone was the silence of Phobos and Deimos atop the _torii_ post, because they continued to watch him as if ready to pounce on him once again if he chose to re-enter. After their brief introduction, she bowed low to him and continuously offered her apologies. It looked like he wanted to continue speaking but she had already entered the shrine quarters before he could finish, lest he thought that her kindness meant something more like a social call.

It was, after all, her duty as _miko_ to care for the visitors of the shrine and that was what she did.

She watched him get a wood block from the tree and watched him write down his wish. Inside all Shinto shrines was a tree where they could tie their fortunes to come true or misfortune to be pushed back. It was also a custom to sign their wishes on the wood blocks and place it under the tree for the gods to grant.

Rei was sure that that he had hung his wood block on the leftmost corner. Remembering its position, she went towards the tree to read what the stranger had written. It was only one kanji that read: "_miko_."

- tsuzuku -

---------------------------------------------  
**chiisai noto:**  
Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. - Check the author's notes for reference.

I actually can't wait for Nephrite (Sanjounin) to enter the story. I can't understand why... I mean, I'm writing a Rei-Jadeite fanfic! I have this little screen inside my head where I seem to watch the characters playing as though they are really in the anime. And Nephrite's scene keeps appearing and I can't stop laughing. heh... oO I love Rei and Jadeite still... this story shall be focused majorly on them. Just can't take the other Inner senshi and generals off because they're usually connected. And if I am still inspired by taking too much caffeine, I'll probably just write the Nephrite-Makoto spinoff later on. oO

EDIT:  
Okeh... so I added more. I tried a second chapter but they all happened in March 24. Might as well put the short one over here.


	4. 02: Acquaintance

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 2 - Acquaintance**

**Jisho Dictionary:  
BIJIN **beauty**  
DEMO **...but**  
CHIGAUMASU **it's different **  
MATA AIMASHOU **see you next time! **  
NADESHIKO ** ideal woman **  
NIGEROU **go! (run away) **  
OMEDETOU **congratulations**  
SOREKARA **so then **  
SUMIMASEN **excuse me

(Remember: Kamui Asano Jadeite; Kenta Maeda Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato Nephrite. See Author's Notes on why these names.)

* * *

Soujirou sat at the back of a long table, amidst an array of beakers, funnels and test tubes, impatiently tapping his fingers. How could he have been foolishly part of this?

_"Omedetou, Soujirou-sensei!" Watanabe excitedly congratulated him, bowing low. _

_Watanabe was his professor in freshman Chemistry, a subject not really required in his Engineering major but required as a subject in the first year of Tokyo Tech. Soujirou was surprised that such a balding, middle-aged professor would still remember him after all this time when he wasn't even trying to remember himself._

_"I saw your picture in the Engineering bulletin board when I passed by to see Takani-sensei. And I said to myself, 'Maa... ma... that was the student in my class with a staggering two week attendance in the entire term and sleeptalked during the only lectures he attended too!'"_

_Sweatface. "Demo sa... It's not 'sensei' yet. My Master's Degree isn't--"_

_"--So when I saw you walking here in the Biochemistry hall, I figured! Hora! There he is! My favorite student who sleeptalked in Chemistry class!" Watanabe laughed sinisterly. "I wonder how you passed."_

_"Demo you have already established that you really are a very smart boy by bagging the best thesis in Engineering. Especially winning the National Finals in the Mathematics Quiz Bee the year before that! Why... it's plastered all over the Engineering bulletin board like you're their special child! I am pretty sure you are a very good sensei imparting the same knowledge to your students."_

_"CHIGAUMASU, WATANABE-SENSEI! It's not yet--"_

_"Sorekara, as a favor to your school, I am pretty sure the most gifted person in all of Japan would not decline his former teacher a favor?"_

And there he was. Sitting in front of a large table filled with beakers, lancets, burners and things he never touched since freshman year, wondering what favor he really owed his former teacher. And for a brilliant student like him, it was only now that he realized that simply sleeping in class and not attending most of it, was not a major offense at all! It was not his fault that Chemistry was that easy. _Baka..._

Soujirou got his mobile phone and angrily dialed. He needed to vent his anger somehow and straighten all this out! How dare Watanabe-san require him to do all that when he couldn't even figure out how to waste his own time. It was spring break! A time to go out, vacation in Kyushu and surf on the fake waves, have a spring fling in Kyoto, getting drunk...

"_Nigerou_." A sleepy, threatening reply answered on the other line even before Soujirou could greet.

"Ah! Caller ID! Ne, Kenta-kun?"

"What is wrong?"

"I am stuck in the middle of a very boring Chemistry Exhibit tending these old beakers and..." Soujirou complained, tapping an old burning bunsen burner. "An old burner. _Mattaku! _We haven't even been using these since elementary school!"

"..."

"An old teacher from my freshman year prompted my guilty conscience for something I did ages ago and now, I can't get out of this! _Ano saa..._ I shouldn't be here. We should all go out with Kamui-kun and Sanjou-kun just like all times, ne?"

"_Hai._"

"This is really boring. There aren't even women here, and I'm surrounded by nerds--"

"_Anoo saa_..." Someone interrupted.

It was the sweet voice of a woman, something which Soujirou thought to be rare in a Chemistry exhibit especially when supposedly, all the cutest women in Tokyo Tech were gone during that spring break. And he was right in his assessment. A pair of the most beautiful, immaculate round blue eyes were staring at him inquisitively through her glasses. Her hair was cropped short till her nape and soft layers fell around her blushing cheeks. _Kawaii-sou da..._

"_Ano_, Kenta-kun! I have to go." he said without thinking, snapping the receiver of his mobile phone.

"_Eeto..._" She blushed all the more. "I just wanted to ask what the chemical composition is. It looks like you're producing a very good drug, _sensei!_ What would you call it?"

_Sensei?_ It didn't matter. It would be a good conversation piece on their date later on. "I shall call it 'Cure X," Soujirou answered, his thoughts praising himself for providing a quick and smart answer. "Because it clearly defines its use in aiding our society from a health menace." _And I have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about._

"Cure X?" Her eyes widened in surprise and curiosity. "_Anoo..._ it does sound very original."

"Heh... it is, ne?" Soujirou grinned, trying his best to sound knowledgeable. "For starters, I--" He began to pick up the beaker atop the burner.

"_Ittai!"_ he shouted in pain as it burned his hand. He had been watching that burn there for only ten minutes. How was he to know that it was a chemical that burned easily? This is rightful karma for skipping most of Watanabe-sensei's class, the essential subject for actually impressing these types of women.

"_Daijoubu-yo, _sensei?" she frantically asked, leaning on the table to get a closer look at his hand.

Soujirou was touched that the cute girl in front of him was worried about his carelessness. He continued to grin as though nothing happened despite the burning physical pain and the lies he gave her. But he can never stand that people kept mistaking calling him _sensei_ since that morning. "It's not _sensei_... at least not yet," he sighed. "I'm really an Engineering student taking my Master's degree and Watanabe-sensei only asked me to watch his exhibit."

"Heh." She smiled at his willful confession as if in amusement, much to Soujirou's surprise.

"I know," she said. "Nishimura Soujirou. Graduated two years ago. Best thesis in Engineering."

"Ah!" Soujirou snickered at the revelation. "Of course, everybody knows that." It seemed as though he'd been had from the start. An academic person like him not realizing the obvious--this sort of thing happened only whenever he would get distracted. At least he was thankful he was able to amuse someone because she laughed appreciatively at his answer. She was actually amused at his remarkable and consistent arrogance and that he even took it as a good-natured response.

"_Arigatou gozaimasu, _Nishimura-san," she greeted, still laughing, and shyly proceeded to walk on to the next exhibit.

"_Ano_, _onna-sama!" _Soujirou was actually impolite but those were the words probably stemming out of lust to take the opportunity in preventing what he waited for so long that spring from walking away so soon. "Your name_?"_

"Mizuno," she answered, blushing. "Mizuno Ami."

"Rei Hino..." The name sounded familiar.

Kamui realized that the conversation with the _miko _in Hikawa Jinja had been too brief. He may have succeeded in getting her name due to the 'good fortune' of being mercilessly attacked by ravens, but that was all too due to her owing him that courtesy. Despite her help in tending his wounds, Hino-san averted her eyes from looking straight at him and during the few times that she glanced, her piercing purple eyes denoted a sharp sense of distrust. It was this very discouraging expression of her that Kamui remembered the most. He dared to concede to himself the fact that he actually could not remember what she really looked like. Or at least it was very hard to trace the finer details of her face in his mind.

So out of curiosity, he made his way towards Hikawa Jinja sans bodyguard this time. He had been unable to meet his father the other day when he arrived from L.A and so he was freed from any necessary obligation two days in a row. There was a change in the elder Asano's schedule, and Kamui was even obliged to attend that DLP political party meeting had he not given a good excuse. Besides, the press seemed as though they were taking a special spring break too, especially since the news of the election of the new prime minister had died down. It was therefore not necessary for Nishida to attend to him unless he was being escorted to the airport. Besides, there was no need for paranoia. He was only going for a walk to determine the real reason behind the attractive _miko_'s aloofness. Nishida would frown at such a petty mission.

As he was climbing the stairs of the shrine, he noticed a familiar figure walking down. It was a younger man in a blue suit and a red tie. There were sandy highlights in his hair which he had grown since Kamui last saw him in university.

"Asano-senpai!" It seems he had been recognized first.

"Kishino-kun. _Konnichiwa!_ What a surprise meeting you here."

"_Aaa_... _O-hisashiburi_, Asano-senpai!" Kishino was surprisingly in high spirits that morning. "I haven't seen you since you graduated from Waseda last year. I shall also be graduating this year. Hopefully I graduate with good marks like you."

Kamui, unfortunately, did not graduate with the distinction that was expected of him. His grade did not meet the desired qualifications, thanks to mediocre marks he got during the fun sophomore year. He was however, more concerned with other things than catching up with an old colleague. "What brings you here, Kishino-kun?" Kamui asked.

"Eeto... " Kishino stuttered, scratching his head in reluctance. "I only came to deliver a gift."

"Deliver a gift?"

Kishino shyly declined to say anymore, as was his nature. As soon as Kamui finished his small talk with him, he found his steps to be increasing in speed as he climbed Hikawa Jinja. It seemed he was working on an instinct. He looked at what he was wearing. Compared to the rather formal clothes Kishino was wearing, his old black sweater, denim jeans and plain loafers seemed too casual. Was there any reason to, anyway? He found out as soon as he reached the top floor. First thing he did was to cautiously look up if two ravens were perched atop the _torii_ post. Seeing there were none and all was clear, his sight was diverted to the reason he came there for.

"It's only a small token, Hino-san."

This time, Kamui did not recognize the person who spoke. He looked somewhat like that of Kishino, wearing a white shirt and gray slacks -- more casual than Kishino but more formal than Kamui's. He looked like someone who was still in college, probably Hino-san's colleague, but this was what Kamui merely surmised in his head. He was carrying a small package that seemed like a box of chocolates and was handing it to her with such great care.

"_Domo_." She politely thanked him and bowed a little as she received the box with both hands.

Kamui noticed that there Hino Rei did not reciprocate any expression of enthusiasm like what Kishino and this new guy gave her. In fact, her _"Domo"_ sounded flat and emotionless that Kamui reminded himself that it was too soon and selfish to feel even the slightest bit of elation upon seeing her disinterest in those two. The only feeling he would admit to himself at that time was irritation over this second person's enthusiasm, as his right shoulder 'accidentally' bumped into Kamui's when he walked past him towards the shrine's exit.

Now he remembered what she really looked like. Hino Rei stood near the Sanctuary with a broom on one hand and a box of chocolates on the other. The wind slightly disheveled her long, purplish black hair. And though she was the same _miko_ wearing the same robes and _hakama_, there was no way that she looked plain at all however much she tried. Despite her cold demeanor, that kind of sophistication reminded him of those new actresses who played the roles of Japanese princesses in the modern _taiga_ doramas on television. Most liberal women his age in Tokyo do not exhibit the traditional _nadeshiko_ beauty, nor work at a shrine or geisha house, and still look like a modern television star. Now he knew why Kishino was present that morning. Except of course, he was unlike them -- bearing presents the instant they realized they were face to face with a _bijin_. He was simply... curious.

Hino Rei, on the other hand, felt her cheeks burn and attributed it to the wind stinging her cheeks. She recognized the new visitor at Hikawa Jinja because she remembered the wood block where he wrote his wish under the tree of Hikawa Jinja. It would be stupid to assume that anything he wrote there was related at all to her when that wish was reserved for _kami-sama_.

"Konnichiwa, Hino Rei-san," Kamui greeted.

"Ko-konnichiwa..." she stuttered, ashamed that she could not remember his name. "Asano _deshou_?"

"_Hai._" Kamui smiled. "Asano Kamui. Am I bothering you, Hino-san?"

Rei politely shook her head. "There are just many visitors in Hikawa Jinja today..." It was the truth. That was what she told Kishino-san and Arai-san who visited just now.

"Kishino-kun..." Kamui continued to finish the conversation, despite the last hint in her sentence. "It seems we both know the same person. Where did you meet him?" _Baka... striking a desperate conversation mentioning the name of an old colleague._

"In Waseda University... we took the same Philosophy classes together."

"_Naru hodo..."_ Kamui was pleased at the coincidence. "Kishino-kun... is taking law in Waseda now, isn't he? He was still in his second year when I graduated."

Rei was actually dismayed upon hearing he went to the same university where she did. It was the very same course her father attended in Waseda, and one of the courses she purposely avoided. There was actually no reason to feel that, as that was thinking too far ahead. Her promise to Kaidou-san, her father's former assistant, during her 15th birthday was a promise she intended to keep. And though that promise did not concern marrying politicians, things changed ever since the day Ono-san delivered her forms from Waseda two springs ago. She did not wish to have anything to do with Law students like Kishino at all...especially if they were from Waseda.

"Is there anything wrong, Hino-san?" He asked, concerned about the long silence.

"Nothing, Asano-san. _Sumimasen._" She apologized.

"Kamui."

"_Nani?"_

_"_Please call me Kamui instead, Hino-san."

Rei nodded, not paying attention to his hint of allowing him the courtesy of calling her by her first name, much to Kamui's disappointment. The final hint to his lack of progress and syllables meant a signal to leave. And he was about to, until he heard the familiar cries of his nemesis the other day. And at that moment, they were perched comfortably on the roof above them.

"_Gomen nasai_, Hino-san. I must be bothering you. I'll go ahead.. however..." Kamui pointed to the roof of the Sanctuary where Phobos and Daimos now perched, instead of their usual post atop the _torii_.

Rei noticed that the hand he used to point at the 'threatening' ravens still had the gauze she herself had placed on his hand. "_Eeto..._ you are scared of Phobos and Deimos?" She couldn't help but laugh. His pointing hand with the gauze was indeed shaking.

"Eh?" Kamui was surprised. Of all the times he had done no effort at all in making conversation was the time he had made her laugh. And he did not even have to bring a present like those losers Kishino did, too. He was pleased to see her laugh, even just a little, and even at his expense. And she laughed all the more when his shoulders jumped at the familiar scary sound of the "Caw!" of the ravens who attacked him the other day.

Hino Rei was adorable as she had been when she stared coldly at him during their first meeting, crow wounds and all. And most of all, he was certain that he was only one of the privileged few who saw this side of her that Kishino and the others had not yet seen. _Arigatou, kami-sama_ for that fortunate event.

When she finally settled from laughter, Rei looked at Phobos and Deimos and signaled with her hand. It was only at that time that they stopped shrieking and the only time that Asano-san seemed to calm down. He smiled sheepishly, his piercing eyes widening to look serious in order to redeem himself. "Are you alright, Kamui-san?"

"_Hai. Arigato Gozaimasu, _Hino-san." Kamui bowed low, concealing his grin of accomplishment as he did. "I shall see you again. _Mata aimashou!_"

Hino Rei acknowledged him with a smile. He did not hear her say, "_Mata ne_" as he was already on his way towards the shrine's exit. She watched him walk down the steps of Hikawa Jinja, until no trace of the blonde highlights in his hair would be seen, because he looked back twice. It was only then that she took what she had tried to conceal from the surprise visits from the belt that held her _hakama_. Phobos and Deimos, immediately attuned to her intuition, flew from the roof to stay at her feet.

"You're feeling something too, ne... Phobos... Deimos?" she said softly, now holding the wood block with the word "_miko" _in her hand.

In the meantime, halfway down the steps of Hikawa Jinja, Kamui senses were also attuned to the presence of his own familiar.

Nishida stood at the bottom of the steps of Hikawa Jinja looking like a real bodyguard, wearing his usual dark shades and the black suit of the counter-Yakuza. His brows rose as the young Asano neared.

"You were waiting here the whole time, weren't you, Nishida?" Kamui asked in a rather expectant tone.

Nishida nodded. "Yesterday's meeting with the DLP Party had some very interesting results. It seems that the media will once again be hounding your father for the next few weeks... or months. So I'm required to be at your side especially when you're off to see the daughter of your father's rival... secretly."

"My father's rival? Hino... Ryoichi..." Hino Ryoichi was a former member of his father's DLP Party and one of the most respected as well. It was only late last fall that he had a falling out with the party due to policy differences with his own father. And so early this year, Hino Ryoichi announced that he shared the policies sought by the larger opposition of the SCP Party. Nishida could have easily researched that Hino Ryoichi's only daughter was at Hikawa Jinja.

The realization only lasted a few moments of surprise for Kamui. It sounded really funny now that everything his professors in Waseda said were true. Most of his opinions were very much in opposition to his father. _And more importantly, today, I made her laugh._

"Wipe the smirk off your face, Kamui-dono," Nishida chided. "You were the second person who went up those steps to greet her."

"Third," Kamui corrected, still having that smirk on his face.

"Aaa... _sou da na..._ If they are that many, can you just imagine how many men would be there on her birthday?"

Kamui froze in his tracks. Nishida's joke had more of a surprising effect on him than the news he seriously told him earlier on. "Nishida," Kamui called, looking stern.

"_Nani?_"

"If you know all this, then how come I don't know about her birthday?"

- tsuzuku -

---------------------------------------------  
**chiisai noto:**  
Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. - Check the author's notes for reference.

Sowee if this is boring... it is only their second getting-to-know-you meeting. Still within that introductory phase... and my brain's video recorder is already thinking of the ending. ;; Weird, ne? By the way, for those of you not familiar with the manga, it is introduced there that Rei's father is a politician of the DLP Party, and that her mother died. Kaidou, her father's assistant is also mentioned there. To see the full details of that, click here.

I intend to have a magical thing going around here because it won't be Sailormoon story without youma and such, ne? Also, the other senshi stories with the generals here would only be little vignettes of how they met, etc. It would be hard not to include them since the Inner Senshi are very close to each other. However, I will focus on the Rei-Jadeite reincarnation story, that's why there are only little stories. Maybe in the future, I'll do a spinoff... dunno... In the meantime, hope you enjoy this. ;;


	5. 03: Tanjoubi Omedetou

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 3 - _Tanjoubi Omedetou!_**

_Yokka. Shigatsu. (April 4)_

"_Yatta!_ Ami-chan!" Usagi squealed in excitement, tugging at her friend's elbow. "I'm so glad that you're here! It's been so long since we've been complete."

The four of them, including the two cats Luna and Artemis, have agreed to meet each other in the Juuban-cho Shopping District to catch up with each other's activities before the start of classes next week. Time had been especially hectic for the busy Ami, but Usagi had apparently succeeded in luring her out of Tokyo Tech.

"_Eeto_... I'm glad too, Usagi-chan," Ami spoke softly, a huge sweatdrop looming over her head.

"You should tone it down a bit, Usagi," Rei coldly scolded, flipping the hair off her shoulders. "Everyone is staring at you." Luna and Artemis nodded in unison.

Usagi became conscious and turned to look at the people passing by. A few faces inside the mall were frowning and shaking their heads at the commotion she just aroused. She bent her head in embarassment. Huge sweatdrop on top of her head.

"It's okay, Usagi-chan," Makoto reassured her, patting her head. "You're just excited, ne... Usagi?"

Usagi happily nods in agreement. "It's just that I miss you... _minna..._" her lips pucker as fake tears seemed to fall from her eyes. "It's hard being a _ronin_, you know. This year, I will try my best to enter K.O. University and then I will be with Mamo-chan! It doesn't matter how long it takes!"

"_Nee_... Usagi-chan," Minako interrupts. "Isn't this your second take already? _Eeto..._" she pauses. "Shouldn't you be smart and ladylike now...and isn't it about time you become like the Neo-Queen Serenity already? I mean, we're already adults so it should start--"

"--Obviously, becoming an adult takes longer for Usagi," Luna finished off. Artemis shriveled in fear behind Luna, since Usagi's eyes had turned sinister and she was prepared to claw at the hapless black cat.

"_Ano saa..._" Makoto hastily spoke to disrupt the violence. "Things have been especially hectic at work. More students have signed up for my class today. I'll be teaching them easy dishes to cook at home. Maybe I teach them how to cook _kamameshi_ first..."

"_Oishii sou_, Mako-chan!" Minako and Usagi drooled in unison.

"It's been fun in school too," Ami began. "Last week, I attended an exhibit on the new studies on the pertinent drugs on the West Nile virus, and currently, we are studying the absorption effects of supplemental Ascorbic Acid!"

Frozen. Silence. The four of them, with the two cats, continued to walk like zombies. Sweatdrop hung above Ami's head.

"_Ano saa..._ I successfully passed the interview today," Minako announced happily, her tingling cheer bursting the silence. "I'm going to be assigned to the Costume Department in the new play starring the new actor, Maeda-san. I hope he's cute!" She sighed, her eyes turning into sparkles. "Like Kimura Takuya-samaaa..._Eeto..._all my dreams of chasing idols are starting to pay off one by one."

"What about you, Rei-chan?" Makoto asked.

Rei coughed. "It's pretty busy in Waseda," she said indifferently. "All we do is write formal papers."

"Met anybody interesting?" Minako asked in a jeering tone, her eyes still in sparkles. "The exotic, long-haired Rei-chan!" She dons a cap and holds a mic, reminiscent of their episode in 'Rei and Minako's Girls' School Battle' 5 years back. "They say that it has been her awakening since she's been to Waseda and moved out of TA all-girls' school! And has long been chased by MORE guys!" Minako puts her hands on her waist and laughs hysterically. "It's fun being in co-ed, ne?" she winks.

But this time, Rei chose to be silent, ignoring Minako's playful monologue instead. And a surprised Usagi couldn't help but ask, "You are not into hating men anymore, Rei-chan?"

Rei shrugged. "It's unnecessary now since I have to interact with most of them in class anyway."

Luna's eyes widened. "Is it possible that Rei-chan has matured a lot more since then?"

Rei clenched her fist to restrain irritation.

"Your birthday is going to be two weeks from now, Rei-chan!" Makoto quickly changed the subject. "What are we going to do to celebrate?"

_Birthday?_ Even Rei forgot. The usual celebration included Kaidou-san coming over in place of her father. Except Kaidou-san had already married and being a successor to her father in the DLP made his schedule even more hectic. It was inconceivable that they would ever see each other again. There were days she wondered if Kaidou-san even remembered her. The past five years had been spent celebrating with her grandfather, given that Ono Kagura-san, her father's new assistant, passed by to give her two premium sushi sets, a bouquet of flowers and a check that her father expected her to save in a bank.

_Maybe it will be okay to ask them to come by my house... keep ojii-san company._ Rei thought.

But before Rei could answer Makoto, they heard a large thud. The new chocolate children's mascot, a huge pink and blue penguin, had fallen on the floor and on top of it was a man, his long wavy hair which he tied in a low ponytail now completely disheveled from his fall. It looked like he had been behind the mascot for a long time. After a few minutes, he took off the blurry circles in his eyes and stood up to regain his composure, fixing the crimps on his pale blue shirt. And making sure that everything about him was flawless, he flipped the hair off his shoulder and bowed low to the mascot. "_Gomen nasai_," he apologized, blushing.

He then walked towards the four of them and finally stopped in front of Ami. "Soujirou-_sensei!_" Ami happily greeted. "_Yoroshiku!_" Ami hesitated to ask, in politeness, what he had been doing behind the mascot.

"_Yorishiku_, Mizuno-san," he greeted in a high pitched happy voice. "Are they your friends? _Ne, Kawaii!" _He stopped to look at them one by one.

A long silence.

"_Eeto...ja mata ne, _Mizuno-san!" he said sheepishly, grinning. "It's been very nice bumping into you here!"

Ami smiled and waved in response. She, along with all of her friends wondered where he had come from since they didn't see anyone coming from that direction. Or maybe he has been behind that mascot all along? But before they could even ask, Soujirou-_"sensei" _was already out of their sight as fast as the second he appeared.

...

_Touka. Shigatsu. (April 10)_

Kamui Asano, with his head bowed, tugged at his gray V-neck sweater to straighten the folds whose existence were responsible, at least in part, to his disappointing morning. He looked at his white cross-trainers and weren't satisfied with them too. It was a long walk. He should have worn comfortable sneakers instead. It would be too depressing to go home. Days like these were meant to be spent in places other than his own. And he knew just the place.

The corridors of the fifth floor of Kaiousu Towers were empty. He rang the doorbell.

Sanjounin Masato opened the door wearing only a plain white t-shirt, his auburn locks resting on his shoulders and obviously not expecting any company. "It's 10:00 am, Kamui-kun," he said.

"_Konnichiwa_ then," Kamui greeted, instead of "_Ohayoo_." He entered the room without waiting for Sanjounin's welcome and wearily sat on his sofa.

Sanjounin was well-used to his friend's monotonous greetings, even if he hadn't seen him for a long time since he left for Sapporo. But everything had not changed with Kamui ever since high school. And even though he had been friends with Kenta first since junior high school, it was Kamui who usually sought his company if things weren't going well.

"Since when have you started that?" Sanjounin asked, after seeing Kamui pick a cigarette from his pack.

"You taught me in high school, remember?" Kamui reminded him, looking on the table to find an ash tray. "Actually, I didn't really get into this until my second year in Waseda, when things started getting serious." He offered Sanjounin his pack.

Sanjounin gestured with his hand in refusal. "I stopped," he told Kamui. "Ever since things started getting serious."

Kamui laughed. That at least explained why there was nothing on the table but spools of guitar strings. "This will end eventually," he smirked at Sanjounin. "It's not a good image to project to the public when the campaign period starts." He returned the stick he took from his pack and placed it inside his pocket.

"You're really following your father's footsteps, aren't you?"

Kamui shook his head. "My professors in Waseda say I am very much unlike him," he said. "But he's the least of my worries now."

"What's her name?" It was fairly easy, at least for Sanjounin, to guess. Kamui always seemed to have big problems among all of his friend, from maintaining his grades in school to straying out of his father's political shadow. But he had only seen him sulk this way once or twice -- and that meant that he wasn't able to get things done his way. It wasn't like Sanjounin couldn't relate. That was also his problem-- being drawn to women he just could not read.

"She also goes to Waseda," Kamui told him, trying to understand why he had never seen her during the time he was there.

He woke up early that morning just to catch her doing her daily routine of sweeping the leaves in Hikawa Jinja. And after braving the deadly stares of her guardian ravens atop the loft of the shrine sanctuary, he was only successful with a short conversation. It seemed Kishino had been there earlier than him and had thought of the same thing -- meeting her the day before the start of classes in Waseda. And then minutes later, the same suitor who 'accidentaly' bumped into him, walked up the stairs of Hikawa Jinja, giving her another gift.

"I am very busy," Hino Rei flatly told him. "I am pretty sure that I have no time once classes start in university."

That was the very same answer she had given him. And Kamui surmised that that was the same answer she had given Kishino. The distinction that he had seen that side of her when he made her laugh seemed to dissipate because at that moment, he was the same as those two in her eyes.

_Does she even know what kind of person I am? _

Kamui could not distinguish whether the disappointment inside of him was due to a blow to his ego or his failure to get her attention. There was something behind that _bijin_'s coldness. He saw it that fortunate day her ravens attacked. And though she looked all the more beautiful displaying that arrogance, what he saw that day was what he longed to see again. Over and over, if that was possible. _Now... if only he could rid of the distraction..._

Kamui noticed the newly opened box that sat on the chair opposite him. "Speaking of women," he began, staring at the heaps of junk he could not recognize that lay on the floor. "You probably need one right now."

Sanjounin shrugged, shaking his head over the rather sexist comment. "Politicians..." he smiled. "I can fix all that by myself, but I have so many commitments that I barely have time to fix everything up."

"Ein has been helping you?" Kamui asked.

"_Hai_," Sanjounin nodded. "There is one thing I think I need help though." He handed Kamui a small flyer and took a quick glance at the empty canisters of instant noodles in the sink.

"Sanjou-kun..." his friend asked, reeling from surprise, and re-reading the flyer again. "Cooking classes?"

...

_Jugonichi. Shigatsu. (April 15)_

_Two days before April 17_. It was too much of a surprise that she even counted the days. It would all be the same anyway -- Ono-san would come, pretend to greet her cheerfully, give Rei her father's gifts and be on her way. It should be no big deal. Besides, they already celebrated the start of their adulthood last _Seijin no Hi_. That day won't be anything special... as it had always been.

She glanced at her watch. 10:30 am. Just ten minutes more till her third period class. Rei continued to walk down the shrub-lined path towards her building. The sight of the _sakura_ guarding the end of the path suddenly gave her a sense of nostalgia.

She remembered the picnic she had with Usagi-chan and the rest of them during _Hana-mi_. Now that she was recounting, she had a particularly memorable spring break. She was able to catch up with her friends and was able to have one interesting incident. Rei still rememberrf how much Kamui-san's hand shook as he pointed to the Phobos and Deimos, perched well-behaved atop the Sanctuary. His hand was still sporting that bandage she had placed.

_Law School, ne?_

Rei stopped and began to look back towards the array of buildings right across Waseda Dori.

_That's where Kamui-san and Kishino-kun go to,_ she thought. The College of Law campus was a good ten minute walk from her campus in Toyoma. Once university starts, she was sure she would not see them again. And rightly so. If she wanted to be in that campus, that would have meant she had submitted to her father's wishes to take up Political Science. Toyoma was a smaller, more dignified and more liberal campus, and Toyoma was where she belonged.

_And Kamui-san belongs--_

She thought she had imagined him walking from Toyoma's main gate dressed in a green and black sweater, and denim blue pants. And still wearing the same puffer vest he wore the day he went to Hikawa Jinja. "Kamui?" she whispered, ashamed to call his name.

Rei shook her head quickly, as if that would help in making all her thoughts disappear. What was she thinking? She immediately glanced at her watch. 10:40. She was late.

"_Baka!"_ she scolded herself and turned one last time to see if the impetus she felt had been correct. And she was right. She was imagining something unwise. "_Baka..."_ she told herself once again, and ran towards her building.

Not far from where she ran, Kamui began inching his way back towards the subway underpass. He took one last look at the Toyoma building and smiled. His audit class wasn't until fourth period so it would not matter if he lingered there much longer.

_Beep!_ He reached for the black beeper that vibrated in his pocket. Pressing the button to stop both the sound and vibration, he pushed the arrow button to toggle to his latest message. It was the news he waited all day long from Nishida. And all it said was, "April 17."

...

"Sukiyaki," Makoto began, speaking in front of her new class. "Is a very easygoing dish that is altogether easy to do!" She smiled at what sounded redundant. She counted the heads that were present. Six women and only one man. All sullen and evidently clueless faces staring at her like zombies, as if spirit lights floated around them like those of Japanese ghosts.

_"Eeto.._" she smiled, a huge sweatdrop hanging low on her head, trying her very best to curb her enthusiasm. "First, let me tell you the ingredients." Makoto pointed to the pre-made set in front of her. "We need about 400 grams of thinly sliced beef, 4 leeks, 2 onions..."

As she continued recounting all the ingredients, she took notice of the tall man who placed himself at the back of the room. Sanjounin, who had tied his dark brown wavy locks into a low ponytail, had brought a book on various Japanese recipes. Being assured of his luck when his _sensei_ mentioned _sukiyaki_, he quickly flipped to the page in his book where it was printed. So supplementing his _sensei_'s recounting of the ingredients with what he saw in the book, it greatly assured him that everything he did was correct. And that assured his _sensei_ more of his seriousness in taking the lessons, not knowing what huge difference it made to Makoto. Seeing his face in genuine eagerness to learn sparked her enthusiasm once more.

"There are two ways of preparing the sauce," Makoto continued, picking up the small bowl in front of her. "In the Kansai region, you mix them all together, set them aside, and add the sauce to your mixture later on. In the Kanto region--"

"--_Sensei!_" One of her students, fixing her thick rimmed glasses, raised her hand. "That is so confusing! Can't we just do one method?"

Makoto winced. "_Demo saa... " _she tried to explain. "There are many ways of doing this that even housewives get confused. So if I introduce to you all the methods, you'll find it easier to--"

"--But _sensei_, we don't care what they do in the Kanto region. Knowing two methods would still be confusing!"

Makoto could almost feel a blood vessel pop, but she tried to restrain her irritation. "Very well," she sighed. "Next, we--"

"_Sensei_!" A voice from the back interrupted. "In the Kanto region, they add the _sukiyaki_ sauce ingredients one by one right after mixing the beef, correct?"

All eyes turned on Sanjounin. In silence. In awe. In discreet admiration. It was only in that moment that Makoto noticed that her sincere protegé was a good looking _bishounen_, which was an extremely rare occurence. Since she was a teacher in a small institute, most of her students were either housewives with no cooking skills (and therefore were usually bitter about that), or those who took it to survive living on their own. And here was one who stood there, his _bishounen_ appearance staring at her with inquiring dark eyes, and the sleeves of his white polo all folded until his elbow, holding his recipe book on his right hand as proof that his question had a basis. Apparently, he had read that part that Makoto was supposed to say, assuring her of the fact that he was there to support her. And apparently, nobody in that class thought he looked silly in a red apron because their attention still did not shift back to their _sensei_.

"Well, _sensei_?" her student with the thick rimmed glasses asked. "Is he correct?"

Is _he_ correct? It was as if a huge rock fell on Makoto. "_Hai..._" she conceded.

"Is it okay if I do the Kanto region method, _sensei_?" the same student asked again.

"_Hai, sensei!_" Another student said. "It is easier that way than to mix all the ingredients together, isn't it?"

Makoto stared at the bowl in front of her. Sake, soy sauce and sugar had all been poured. And mixed. "_Hai_," she conceded again.

Sanjounin took a quick glance at his _sensei, _after she told them to cut the _tofu_ into cubes. He could guess that she was about 21 or 22, maybe just a year younger than he was. (Not knowing that she was really just 20.) He could gauge from her skill in cutting flawless cubes of _tofu _that its edges would not break if placed in water. He recalled that was how kitchen cooks were being tested in early Tokugawa Japan. And from the looks of his cutting _tofu_, it looked like he would not survive that era. Thank goodness for the technology that served 21st century Tokyo.

He also noticed that his _sensei_ kept her table clean and remarkably orderly. She looked like the type of person who would keep things fairly organized... very much unlike him.

"After we add the beef," Makoto continued. "We can add everything else." She held her plate of ingredients. "We can add the _tofu_, onion, leeks, _shimeji, enokidake_--"

"--_Sensei_!" The same student with the wide-rimmed glasses asked. "You are going too fast!"

"_Daijoubu..." _The familiar voice interrupted again. "It's okay if we don't add them in order, right, _sensei_?"

And that was the only time everyone sought her attention because apparently, her star pupil had spoken. And once again, she haplessly conceded to her star pupil because she had no choice. He was right. And they were listening to him. Down to the last part that they had blended the raw egg into the _sukiyaki_. Her students treated her with the same ghostly stares, dazed only at the presence of their prince. And only because he was good looking. She looked at him to express her indignation but he had smiled at her instead. She hadn't expected him to be so supportive.

Sanjounin, in the meantime, wondered why the others tried to badger their _sensei_. She looked very knowledgeable and sincere, unlike the girls who flock in the clubs that he went to -- daintily clad yet spoiled. It would be refreshing to see someone like that in that scene. She would be so rare.

"_Konnichiwa!_"

Sanjounin almost leapt in surprise. She was already in front of him, ready to inspect the food he had prepared. It was a bit too soon though. Sadly, what he had in his bowl was very much unlike the picture that was on his book and totally far from the bowl that his _sensei_ had made. Well, it was what he could manage. He was a musician after all. He can tune guitars, adjust to the rhythm if he played the drums, and deal with impossible Ein but he probably could never live off anything but instant ramen all his life.

_"Eeto..." _Makoto tried to smile as she looked at the menage of noodles and mushroom thrown together like they were blended in a hurricane. She took a spoon, dipped into the bowl of _sukiyaki_, and placed it into her mouth.

"I changed the sauce just a little, _sensei_," he confessed. Then he instinctively braced himself for the outcome.

"This is very good," Makoto said, after a long silence. Makoto could not believe it herself but the taste was appallingly perfect. Moreover, probably another conspiracy of a really good cook disguised as a normal student to bug her.

Apparently, he wasn't. In gratitude for teaching him so that he was able to take home real food to his apartment that night, he slipped a pair of tickets on her desk. Makoto read the black script embossed on the red paper. It said, _April 20th. Ichinohachi Park._

...

_  
Jushichinichi. Shigatsu. (April 17)_

Kamui Asano finally pulled the dark brown V-neck sweater he knew he just recently bought in L.A. off the pile of other sweaters like it on top of his bed.

_Baka!_ he scolded himself, staring at his watch which said that it was 3:30 pm. How could he take so long in deciding? He had been sitting in his room, shirtless, wearing only his black denim jeans, contemplating on what to select. _It is only a birthday, not a celebration_, he reminded himself. Yet the dilemma was to look as casual as possible and yet extraordinary, for her to notice that at least... that damn it, he was not like Kishino and the others, who just went there just because they were smitten. Okay... so maybe he was like that _initially_, but have they seen that side of her that he had seen? That woman didn't seem capable of any kind of appreciation!

Running towards the garage, he reached into his pocket for the keys. Nishida was out on an errand to pick up Kamui's mother from the airport and would be back by 4:00 pm. The past few days, Nishida had been warning him against hounding the daughter of his father's rival in the Diet, and yet could not refuse Kamui to look for information about her. _Birthday: April 17._ _Asian Philosophy. Waseda Daigaku_. It wasn't as if the information was hard to obtain. Rei Hino was surprisingly popular. And he prided himself in not taking anymore information than that, lest he be accused of stalking.

Kamui smiled happily as soon as he got himself inside the car. He pushed the keys into the ignition and triggered all the automatic functions.

_"Hino Ryoichi, leading member of the opposition SDP Party, has relayed fears of the coup in the Diet office to replace the current Prime Minister Teru--"_

Kamui immediately clicked the radio to another station. "Nishida... you're paranoid," Kamui smiled, shaking his head, preferring not to think about the news he had heard. The clock in his car read: 3:40. He took the pair of black shades from the console and wore it over his eyes, and grinned like a spy from the Mystery Channel. It seemed as if it were exactly on that -- a mission. Kamui Asano, Law graduate from Waseda, was not just like any other man.

The red Mazda RX-8 quietly moved out of the Asano garage and zoomed like a devil on the roads of Roponggi that in just twenty minutes, he was able to reach the parking area of the Juuban-cho Shopping District. And like all men who know where they want to go the instant they are inside a shopping district, he proceeded directly to just that one destination in his mind.

"_Irrashaimase!_" the kind lady at the Hanami Flower Shop greeted.

"_Konnichiwa!"_ Kamui greeted back, staring at the various rows of flowers massively laid around that little shop. _Uso! There are so many!_ he thought. How was he supposed to decide? A guy like him was supposed to know, shouldn't he? Usually, he would settle with just a bouquet of red roses and any woman would surely be happy with that. Any woman except Hino Rei. He could just imagine the scenario: he would enthusiastically smile as he handed her the roses and she will just flatly stare at them and politely thank him... as Hikawa Jinja was filled with a multitude of red roses, you'd think it was a floral invasion.

_No..._ Kamui thought to himself, a huge sweatdrop hanging over his head. She has certainly seen a lot of those. Besides, it was not only that he wanted his gift to be distinguished from everyone else's, it looks as though roses did not suit her. Walking through the row of flowers, none of them seemed to speak to him.

"Is there a problem?" the kind lady asked him.

"It's her birthday," Kamui sighed.

"Ohh! It's a special day!" said her perky voice. Her smile faded however as she saw him passing over the line of multi-colored roses, his face apparently bewildered with information overload, like a lost child blankly staring at a wall. She would not have that, of course. "_Eeto_... please come follow me," she instructed, smiling enthusiastically.

Kamui followed instinctively... since, well, there was no other choice. She brought him to what seemed like the West Wing of the Hanami Flower Shop, the one laden with flowers Kamui had not seen in his life before. Or maybe he did and just couldn't identify. On the far end of the row was a small bevy of white blossoms that stood out over the rest. He walked closer to where they sat, its white petals sprinkled with dew, looking elegant all on its own -- looking more and more beautiful as he neared it. Just like her.

"We have here an assortment of lillies. Right there--"

"--This is the one I want," Kamui interrupted, apparently already decided before she could even introduce. "A dozen of them, if you will."

...

_Jushichinichi. Shigatsu. Gogo Goji han. (April 17 - 5:30 pm)_

Rei was right. Ono Kagura, her father's assistant, arrived at exactly nine that morning, catching her just in time before going to Waseda.

"_Tanjoubi Omedetou." _Ono-san greeted in strict monotone as a simple polite gesture. And true enough, after the required small talk, she handed Rei a bouquet of red roses and informed her of the premium sushi sets she had laid in the main room. The only difference was that the small brown envelope did not contain a check usually sent by her father for the intention of treating her friends to dinner, but in reality, expecting that his daughter be responsible enough to keep it in the bank.

"It's a credit card extension," Ono-san informed her. "This way, you can simply charge everything to that whenever you want. It has an incredibly high limit."

Rei, despite sensing envy in her tone, bowed low and politely expressed her gratitude. "Please thank _otoo-sama_ for me," she said. And she was truly sincere in that. That was probably the most thoughtful gesture she had received from him in months.

And Rei was also correct regarding that day. Her day in Waseda consisted of nothing but classes from 10:30 in the morning to 4:00 in the afternoon. And nothing special happened. And although she may deny it out of the required aspect of humility, she actually expected to see the presence of Kishino-kun and Arai-kun that day. Expected that they would have known... at least. _Kamui-san, on the other hand, probably wouldn't have, _she thought. They had just met.

Rei walked on the streets leading to Hikawa Jinja, clutching her books to her chest. She tugged at her turtle neck, trying to ease off the feeling that it was choking her. She was actually tempted to use the new credit card given by her father to go to Shibuya for shopping. However, as she seemed to be in some sort of daze, and so hopped on the Tokyo City bus instead that dropped her two blocks away from Hikawa Jinja and tons of kilometers far away from Shibuya. Taking the mistake onto herself, the only thing to do is walk towards Hikawa Jinja and go home. She would at least have the company of her grandfather and they could partake of the sushi set together...

"Hino-san!" Two voices had called to her.

She looked up to see that it was actually Kishino-san together with some other person she didn't know. They had just turned from the corner of the street leading to Hikawa Jinja, both dressed in shirt and tie.

"_Tanjoubi Omedetou, Hino-san!"_ The other one beside Kishino-san bowed and said. "My name is Inoue Masaharu. I've known you from one my classes in Introduction to Philosophy in freshman year." His face turning red as he spoke.

Kishino, not to be outdone, also bowed low and greeted, "_Tanjoubi Omedetou, _Hino-san!" Kishino stood up and straightened his tie. "We don't wish to bother you, Hino-san. But I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday and that..." He paused to think. "T-that... the one with the blue ribbons are from me."

"_H-hai._.."Inoue-san stuttered in agreement. "A-and... the one with the pink ribbons are from me. I think they really suit you, Hino-san!"

"_Anoo..._ I hope you like it!" Kishino said, bowed low, and quickly darted past her.

Inoue, who Rei still did not remember as her classmate in freshman year, also bowed low and shyly smiled at her before following Kishino. Sweat on Kishino's forehead looked like he was running away from something.

_Blue ribbons? Pink ribbons?_ What were they talking about? Certainly, when they passed, she had not received anything from them. And why were they in a hurry to leave after giving her that short greeting? True enough that people like Inoue who waited for her next birthday before showing his intention were likely to be intimidated but ... Kishino-san?

Something was apparently wrong. And Rei later realized that her steps going towards Hikawa Jinja have been increasing in speed, fueled more by a sense of excitement and curiosity than the usual omens of disaster. Later on, she was actually running on the steps of Hikawa Jinja, hurriedly wishing to reach the top floor. As soon as she did, Phobos and Deimos quickly left their post on the _torii_ to circle around her head, shouting and shrieking, impatiently wanting to tell her something as well.

And there they were.

The outer corridors beside the sliding door of the house where she lived were lined up with about five bouquets of roses, in different arrangements. One of them was a full red bouquet tied with blue ribbons, and one was a smaller arrangement of pink roses wrapped in thin paper and pink ribbons. Now she realized what Kishino and Inoue meant.

Phobos and Deimos however, were not too appeased. They called her attention and perched on the porch that lined the corridors of the Sanctuary. And when she walked there to follow them, there sat a bouquet of about a dozen casablanca lillies, wrapped simply in thin white paper sans any colored ribbons.

Rei felt her heart palpitate fast. But who else could have known?

"_Kaidou-san_..." she whispered, slowly taking the casablanca lillies from the ledge and carefully laying it in her arms. They were the most beautiful things that she had received that day -- the very things that proved her wrong. Something extraordinary did happen.

Quickly, she ran towards the house and taking off her shoes beside the roses that lined the door, she rushed to greet Kaidou-san before he could leave.

"_Kampai!"_

_Kampai?_ It sounded weird to hear the sound of her grandfather's voice toasting in unison with another. A visitor? It certainly did not sound like Kaidou-san. Finally, she was able to push the sliding door and --

"--Rei-chan! _Tanjoubi Omedetou!_" her grandfather happily greeted, holding a cup of what looked like _sake_ in his hand.

"_O-ojii-san_..." She paused in surprise to stare at her visitor. And clearly enough, his short, wavy hair was not like those of her former father's assistant. In his black denims and dark brown sweater, unlike that of the formal coat and tie that Kaidou-san wore, he looked really younger than that person she expected. He looked rather suave and confident. It was because Kamui's face glowed, smirking happily at the image of her carrying _his_ bouquet.

"_Tanjoubi Omedetou, _Rei-san," he said, feeling more comfortable saying her first name, seeing his flowers being carried as some sort of approval.

"_Domo... arigatou gozaimasu..." _she said, still reeling from surprise.

"Rei-chan, sit down! Sit down!" her grandfather instructed, pulling her sit across Kamui on the short table. "Kamui-san has given me a nice premium bottle of _sake_. And we were toasting to your birthday! But seeing that you're here now, you two can go and talk!"

_"Demo... ojii-san--_"

"_Maa...maa..._I will be fine, Rei-chan," her grandfather reassured excitedly. "I am just going to clean up at the back and I have to do the accounting for the donations today. You go sit down and enjoy. It's your birthday!"

But before she could plead further to insist on helping him with her duties, the old man had quickly closed the _shoji_ sliding door behind him, so leaving her with the person, who of all people, she never expected to come. And for some reason, that kind of pessimism served her well because at least, it turned out to be a very... unusual ... surprise.

She looked at him, sitting casually across from her with his arm resting on his raised knee. And he was smiling and speechless. For Kamui, it may be an egoistic notion (one which he didn't mind), but he still couldn't get over the thought that it was _his_ bouquet that she carried in her arms. It was the fact that he was right. Today he would distinguish himself from everyone else. He could just congratulate himself now, and gloat at Nishida, should he strike at Kamui for his efforts at meeting with Ryoichi Hino's daughter again.

"_Anoo _" she began. "How come you're here and Kishino-tachi and the others weren't?"

"Kishino?" he asked, raising his eyebrows, trying to look genuinely surprised.

Rei nodded. "Yes... it seems he and a certain Inoue-san came here to leave something. I wonder why they left so suddenly. It was as if they looked--."

"--Scared?" Kamui asked. A twinkle in his eye.

It was a good thing she hadn't noticed how only one corner of his mouth was raised, as if in jeer. Of course, the fact that she did not know what had transpired an hour ago was part of his efforts.

_Flashback. Jushichinichi. Shigatsu. Gogo Yoji han. (April 17 - 4:30 pm)_

_"Kamui-sempai!" Kishino's presence, dressed in a white polo shirt and tie, irritated Kamui, as his younger colleague greeted him. Next to Kishino's brown slacks, Kamui was sure his black denims made more of an impression. However, as he was committed to a mission today, he was as determined to pursue completing it since he had been waiting midway on Hikawa Jinja's steps for the past thirty minutes. _

_"Kishino-kun!" he greeted, trying to hide the bouquet he had bought behind his back. "What is that you're carrying?" _

_"This?" Kishino blushed as Kamui pointed to his own bouquet of red roses, wrapped with blue ribbons. "I-it's just a small token for Hino-san." _

_Kamui calmly fixed the black shades he wore on his eyes, lowered his neck to stare closely at Kishino and in a low, voice asked, "Oh?"_

_Kishino gulped, tugged on his tie and answered nervously, "Haii..." _

_And with his free right hand, still bandaged from the raven attack episode, Kamui swifly latched onto his colleague's shoulder. "Is there any important occasion I should know about?" he asked, slightly burying his fingers on Kishino's shoulder. _

_His kouhai gulped again, feeling the brunt of his sempai on his shoulder and conveniently remembering his sempai's commendation in judo. "Anoo.. it's her birthday, K-kamui-sempai!" _

_Loosening his grip a little, Kamui raised the shades that slid off his eyes a la Gendo Ikari. "I see," he said apathetically. _

_Kishino exhaled, breathing a sigh of relief. That was, until he felt the sting of his sempai's fingers again. _

_"I can hand that to her in your behalf," his sempai spoke in the most disturbing tone. _

And of course, how could they say no when given an offer they could _not_ refuse? It was easier for _kouhai_ as they were younger than him. And the older ones were no problem either. He had been used to Ein and his gang. And it was not as if he did those five people a disservice anyway. Didn't he place them all ever so visibly beside the door? He simply placed his bouquet by the ledge. And yet, by some amount of sheer luck, it was his bouquet that she chose. Simply because he was correct. Those roses the other five had chosen to give her was not something they really thought about. He had planned to give her something different all along. Whatever flowers those are.

"Casablanca lillies..." she whispered, breaking his thoughts, still staring at the white lillies he had bought.

"_Nani?_" Kamui asked, now really genuinely surprised.

"Casablanca lillies," she repeated. "They're my favorite flowers." She carefully took them from her arms so as not to rip its thin paper wrappings, and laid it on the short table. "How did you know?" she asked him.

_Yosh... I was right again!_ This was inside Kamui's seemingly egoistic mind as of the moment, as he can't help but be pleased with his luck of actually selecting her favorite flower amongst all that was lined up in front of him. "_Dakara..."_ he began. "I thought they suited you the best." He had answered truthfully.

Rei suddenly remembered Inoue-san who he had met on the street, saying the exact same thing about the pink roses. Now, the idea Inoue told her sounded quite funny. "_Arigatou_..." she thanked him again, smiling.

A long silence.

"_Anoo..._" Kamui interrupted, as soon as he was able to ransack a topic for conversation in his mind. "How come you celebrate your birthday alone? What about your father?"

Rei stared in surprise. "How did you know about my father?"

"_Eeto..._" Kamui scratched his head.

"My father is very busy that he has barely time to see his family," she answered, grimacing at the subject of her father being brought up.

"Me too," he spoke freely, lowering his head. "Although my father always says he prioritized his family, he can't be kept away from his work. Politics, he says, is a very subtle subject that should not be left alone to the greedy and inexperienced. I guess, he is just like most of our old generation -- very nationalistic."

"Is that enough to disregard their families?" she said angrily, her brows knit.

Kamui looked at her and gently shook his head.

"_Gomen nasai..." _she apologized, realizing that they were talking about his father now, not hers. "M-my mother... was too weak. And in _otoo-san's _mind, there was nothing but politics. I suppose I am not as nationalistic as my father. I hate politics."

Kamui gulped at her directness. "I think you're nationalistic enough, Rei-san," he smiled. "Everyday that you don the robes of a _miko_, you help preserve our traditions."

Rei laughed softly in amusement at his justification.

"I-I..." he coughed. "I used to hate politics too because of my father. Events like birthdays are probably too sentimental, don't you think?

"However," he continued. "I would like to be different than my father. I would like to make a difference in the world on my own. But you can't change the world on your own. You can best change it, ironically... through this system called politics."

_Good answer_. Rei's mind wanted to say. But it was too dangerous to think. Kamui-san, a law student from Waseda was the same as her father. Someone who was unabashedly affirmed that in the future, he could be in politics... just like her father. Didn't she imply to him how much she hated her father? And yet, it was so rare, even Kaidou-san never disagreed with her. Of all people, it could never be someone like her own father. Not someone like Kamui-san.

_We are kindred spirits_.  
The words she spoke to Kaidou-san resound in her head.

If only Kamui knew that his 'mission' had already been accomplished -- that he had already distinguished himself in her eyes -- he would have at least tried to stop impressing her. But within his mind was a sudden surge of panic, searching for topics to break the silence that ensued. Most of all, it was impolite to stare.

"Your father..." she asked, breaking the silence herself. "What kind of politician is he?"

"He is..." he was ashamed to say. "You... have not read the papers, Rei-san?"

Rei shook her head. "Is he like my father?" she asked curiously.

He took a deep breath. "My father is--"

"--Tanjoubi Omedetou, REI-CHAAAAN!"

It was the combined greeting of all her friends, with Usagi and Minako's shrill voice resounding above the rest. They burst open the _shoji_ sliding door, popping loads of confetti, and carrying the cake Makoto had baked.

But silence immediately fell as they found her sitting with male visitor, surprised to see that Rei was actually engaged in good conversation with him.

"Rei-cha..." Usagi was the first to comment on her surprise. "You have a visitor."

Rei sighed. "_Arigato, minna!" _she thanked them, passing over a bewildered Usagi, her eyes twinkling as she stared at Kamui. She took the cake from Makoto and without thinking of her visitor, immediately disappeared behind the _shoji_ door to take it to the kitchen.

His host had disappeared leaving him to tend to their curious stares. Kamui stood and politely bowed. "I am Asano Kamui," he introduced himself. "_Yorishiku onegaishimasu!" _

_"Yorishiku onegaishimasu!_" Usagi happily answered in their behalf.

"_Anoo..._" Kamui scratched his head, seeing that their arrival was his cue to leave. "I think that it is time to go," he said. "Please tell Rei-san that I wish her the best on her birthday. It is very nice to meet you, _minna-san_." He bowed low.

Despite their urging for him to stay, Kamui politely declined them all, insisting that they have fun instead. And no sooner had he done so that he found himself outside of Hikawa Jinja when his watch said 6:30 pm. He was able to talk to her alone for an hour. Successfully. His only regret was probably that they were not able to talk as much, seeing that he had something in common with the Hikawa Jinja _bijin_. He was even surprised with that fact, himself, since he had never even talked about having life in politics to anyone, not even Sanjou-kun. Or Nishida.

Maybe there would be another time. He made one last look at her house and slowly drifted himself down on the steps of Hikawa Jinja.

"Kamui-san!"

Five steps down, he could still recognize the voice of the Hikawa Jinja _bijin_. She stood on top of the steps, shyly tugging her red turtleneck. "Rei-san," he asked. "Is there anything wrong, Rei-san?" He seemed to enjoy speaking his name over and over again.

"_Anoo saa.._." she struggled to speak. "I would just like to thank you... for the gift." She felt her cheeks burn slightly.

Kamui nodded and smiled. "_Tanjoubi Omedetou_, Rei-san..." he said, saying her name again.

Rei bowed low in gratitude and smiled as soon as she rose. Kamui watched her run towards the house and waited until she had removed her sandals. She slid the _shoji_ sliding door shut behind her as soon as she found herself inside.

Leaving the array of roses sitting by that door.

- tsuzuku -

---------------------------------------------  
**chiisai noto:**  
Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. - Check the author's notes for reference.

You might think that Rei-chan has a lot of admirers, but she does get that much attention in the manga. See, in the volume "Casablanca Memories," there was a part there where she was offered a fifth drink already. And that was when she was in an all girls' school! Sheltered! I would imagine the same thing in college, except I'm pretty sure her aloofness would intimidate most men, and make other guys give up. Except... of course. -

By the way, this is a long chapter. Sowee. ;; I can't take off the details. I will try to add something really interesting in the next chapters as Rei and Jadeite pass that "getting-to-know-you" stage. And the Makoto-Nephrite thing up there is just a vignette, like all senshi. Although I will post another vignette on what has happened to her.


	6. 04: Plan B

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 4 - Plan B**

_Jugonichi. Shigatsu. (April 15)_

_I am Aino Minako. 20 years old. Blood type B. Two years have passed since I graduated from high school and now I'm on the road of pursuing my lifelong dream -- to be a famous super idol in all of Japan! _

"_Nee..._Minako-chan! Are you having that last gyouza?" Usagi asked, her eyes wildly staring at the last piece on Minako's plate.

Minako held her chopsticks high and firmly nodded. "_Un!" _she affirmed, and swooped down on the last dumpling before Usagi could tearfully protest.

_Tsukino Usagi. Same age as me. We both graduated from Juuban High School two years ago but she insists on going to college just to be with her boyfriend, Mamoru-san. This year will be her second attempt to do just that but it looks like next year, like she'll be here again to be tutored by Ami-chan. All she does is go out with Mamoru-san instead of studying._

"Don't worry, Usagi-chan!" Makoto assured. "I can still go and make some."

"Can I have some more too, Mako-chan?" Minako cheerfully requested as well.

_Kino Makoto. She makes the best gyouza in town. Even better than my mother's. Actually, she makes the best anything because she's teaching cooking classes. It's really fun to stay at her apartment because it's very clean and there's always a lot of food. I usually go here after my auditions to various production houses. Good thing Ami-chan is away at Tokyo Tech or else we'll be compelled to study even if we don't need to. _

_Mizuno Ami. She's also my friend and like Usagi and the rest, we have gone through a lot together. She can be really scary at times when it comes to schoolwork. It seems to pay off for her though because she's going to a very prestigious university now._

"_Mattaku!_ You two still haven't changed ever since high school!" Rei was referring to the two of course -- Usagi and Minako, over the supposed quarrel over the gyouza. She rolled her eyes at the thought.

_Hino Rei. She didn't graduate from Juuban High School like the four of us and went to a snobby all-girls' school instead. I have been there and it's really very boring. She now studies at Waseda, which is a good thing so that Rei-chan will be forced mingle with a lot of people. It's a problem really, because even though she looks very exotic, she does not even try. But inspite of her aloofness, I still like her._

"Maeda Kenta..." Usagi mumbled a familiar name that made Minako leap in enthusiasm. She was kneeling down and Minako's magazine lay open in front of her. "_Eeto..."_ She pointed to a small area in the page. And with that, all three of them quickly moved towards her side, with Minako swiftly hogging her place in front to look at picture of a guy, whose stick straight hair fell until his chest. He was wearing a simple white shirt to match his pale hair. His brightly colored eyes were small and striking, looking really stern while his hand held a can of cold beer, called '_Kin_.' which meant 'Gold' in English.

"Isn't this the one who will star in the new play you're going to handle, Minako-chan?" Makoto asked. "He's cute, isn't he?"

Minako nodded, pinching her nose, trying to surpress any potential nosebleeds.

"_Sou you ne..._ he is handsome..." Rei softly commented.

_Why is it that I always have a lot of competition? And even Rei-chan thinks so! Yoshi! I just know I have to go to this play and be part of the production cast! I'll be part of the costumes department! Sugoiiii! I will be in charge of the storeroom, maybe even design the costumes, and maybe get to be inside the actors' dressing rooms..._

_Juhachinichi. Shigatsu_. (April 18)

"_Ne_... Minako-chan! Are you sure I can come?" Artemis asked as he walked alongside his master. "I don't think cats are allowed inside the play."

Minako briskly nodded, a huge smile on her face. "Of course you can!" she replied happily. "Or if not, I'll just find a way to sneak you in."

Artemis bowed his head in disbelief, a huge sweatdrop hanging over his head. He did not say anything more to protest. Minako was in high spirits when she woke up that morning, excited for her new job -- something he did not understand at all. This was not one of the auditions she usually attended nor a camera test for various commercials. He had been with her in almost all of those -- scanning newspaper advertisements for any leads, being accepted for minor parts in commercials or going through the pains of being rejected.

But despite all that, Minako-chan never lost hope. It was probably because of all the things she had been through as leader of the sailor senshi. She still managed to keep all that optimism inside of her. Because of that, the Princess of Venus's face glowed. If she faced the cameras right now, Artemis was sure they'd immediately cast her for a huge part in a commercial. But this was not a time to remind her of that. Minako would not hear any of it until her job in this play was finished. Artemis simply walked in silence beside her, admiring his master's charming countenance.

Just then, he saw his master's steps halt on the pavement. Minako was looking up at a tall building whose emerald windows made it stand out from all the buildings on that block. Minako's eyes gleamed in anticipation. She breathed heavily and prepared herself to enter the building.

"_Horaa! Abunaii!" _

It was the deafening scream from a small boy. Minako's nerves stood on end as she looked back to see where it came from. Her familiar, however, had seen the events earlier from where he stood watch and realized that it would be too late. He had to do something.

As soon as Minako had turned however, the baseball flying through space in that speed only meant that it was heading for her nose. That was until she saw a small familiar figure jumping from above and in that second, in front of her, Artemis had managed to intercept the ball to push it out of her way like a football dummy tackling a huge target. The impact for such a catch sent him hovering outside the sidewalk and onto the streets, knocking him unconscious.

"Artemisuuu!" Minako shouted in panic.

Without thinking any further, she rushed down towards the traffic to retrieve her guardian from being crushed. She could hear her heart pound rapidly as she made her way on the street. And finally swooping down to scoop Artemis in her arms, she saw that there was another danger. A red car was heading towards her! She immediately turned and jumped towards the sidewalk, pretending that she had to reach high in order to spike an imaginary ball for something as high as a volleyball net. Her agility acted towards her favor for she was successful in dodging the car.

But not too successful in keeping her balance. If she would land, she might hit the sidewalk fence and the fall might break her arm. That was one consequence she had not thought of given the swiftness of the events. So she closed her eyes and hugged Artemis tight to protect him from the fall...

But Minako did not hear the sharp sound on the pavement.

When she opened her eyes, she was safely being carried in the arms of someone she never thought she would see, and he had successfully averted her untimely fall, just a few inches away from the deadly sidewalk fence. Minako's savior gently put her down on her feet as she still clutched the unconscious cat in her arms. And gracefully flipping his long and straight hair off his face, he appealingly looked straight at her, with as little emotion as he did in his _Kin_ commercial.

"I saw the whole thing and that was a pretty dangerous stunt," Kenta Maeda told her. "Are you alright?"

Minako exhaled a sigh, nervously raised her head and with her eyes gleaming, answered, "_Hai..._"

...

__

Hatsuka. Shigatsu. (April 20)

"_Sugoi..._ that's a new car, _ne..._ Kamui?" Soujirou said, gasping, his palms leaning against the window.

"_Sou desu ne..._it's the new Mazda RX-8!" Sanjounin said, impressed. He stretched his neck to stare at the window behind him where Kamui's car could be seen in full view. "Woohoo! _She _must be impressed with that car, won't she, Kamui?" Sanjounin winked as he reached for a can of beer on the table in front of him.

Kamui laughed. "She has not seen that car yet," Kamui smiled as he took a stick from his cigarette pack. "And I doubt that she will be impressed. She's not one of those." He stretched his arm to offer his pack to Kenta, now seated in the lone chair on his left.

Kenta shook his head. "You should stop those," he coldly refused much to Kamui's and Sanjounin's surprise.

"You too?" Sanjounin laughed. "Looks like you're the only one who's doing that, Kamui-kun!"

"It's bad for the skin, especially in this profession," Kenta explained. He reached for a beer can on the table and recognized the familiar packaging. _Kin_. Gold. Funny how it reminded him of that clumsy girl he rescued on the street one morning. He tried to recall... _What was her name_?

"Kenta-kun is right," Soujirou stated in-a-matter-of-factly, staring at the faint reflection of himself on the window. "It is bad for the skin. Most chicks are crazy over the idols on television because of the pretty boys that they are."

_Pretty boys?_ Soujirou could see Kenta's angry stare from the reflection on the window. He forgot. Kenta hated those kinds of references for his occupation. _Ara..._he realized...not everyone is keen on pursuing higher learning like him. He whispered a faint _'Gomen ne_' right after his tactless remark.

"_Demo_... Soujirou..." Sanjounin interjected. "It's not like you tried to anyway."

Huge sweatdrop. "It's not allowed to smoke in Tokyo Tech," Soujirou replied defensively, crossing his arms. He walked towards the center of the living room where the three of them were seated and grabbed the last _Kin_ on the table. "Besides, I don't live an exciting life as the rest of you. Tokyo Tech can be even boring at times especially in the summer."

"Which _baka_ would stay in university during the summer?" Sanjounin asked, hiding the smirk on the corner of his mouth as he dranked his can of beer.

"If I hadn't stayed, I would not have met someone," Soujirou defensivel answered, restraining a blood vessel to pop. "Her name is Ami Mizuno, a very industrious girl on Biochemistry scholarship in Tokyo Tech. There's no one else there who's had that much of an accomplishment in that university as me, and yet she somehow managed to. She doesn't even have time to go to the mall except the last two Sundays of the month because she's been extremely busy. And I tell you, she's very cute too."

"Soujirou-kun..." Kamui wondered, exhaling cigarette smoke from his mouth. "How is it that you know she's not busy on the last two Sundays of the month?"

Soujirou shook his head and blushed. All eyes were on him, staring strangely at him awaiting for his interesting answer. "_Anoo..._ I was able to check her schedule on the computer, that's all." He bowed his head low.

"_Yare yare..._ You're stalking her, Soujirou," Sanjounin laughed after a long pause, shaking his head. Even Kenta couldn't help but be amused.

"I am not!" Soujirou denied. "I'm one of the top students who have access to the university's database!"

"_Sou ka..." _Kamui shook his head. "And I thought no one's worse than I am." He laughed so hard, almost choking himself with the cigarette stick he lighted.

Soujirou clenched his fists, trying his best to restrain his irritation. All three are laughing at him (even Kenta-kun who almost spilled his beer) and accusing him, the most popular student on Tokyo Tech, with the worst accusations. But he was the brightest one amongst all of them just like he showed them during junior high school. He was sure to think of something good to say.

"At least I'm pretty close to having a girlfriend," Soujirou announced confidently, changing the subject at that. "Aren't you envious that you at least have my luck?" He stared most at Sanjou-kun, the one who's very much intent on doing all kinds of sarcasm directed towards him.

_Soujirou thought about it and it would seem wrong at first because Sanjou-kun had the most girlfriends among all of them, being quite popular in high school as well. Despite all that criticism Sanjou-kun gave him, it only meant that the inverse effect for women was his charismatic sweet talk. And then there's that thing with women and musicians. Sanjou-kun was just plain irresistible... so that meant he can't settle with just one. But __Soujirou does know that since his friend had been deported to Sapporo, Sanjou-kun was nothing but stale for the past three months. _

"My luck's pretty good," Sanjounin assured, patting Soujirou on the arm and almost throwing him off the sofa. "And I don't have to stalk anyone." He was sure he would be better taking everything slow this time. No more groupies. No more superficial women. Just two tickets. Ichinohashi Park. _And I hope she got the tickets I slipped on her table._

"Besides, it's about time you get lucky already," Sanjounin winked, lightly jabbing at Soujirou once again. "I mean, you haven't been lucky with the last one, haven't you? What was her name? Mika?"

"It's been very busy in Tokyo Tech!" Soujirou loudly protested.

_The 'last one' had actually been his one and only girlfriend. He had met her during his freshman year in college -- the friendliest face he had ever come across. After five years of being together, she called to have dinner with him and demurely told him that she had to leave to pursue her post-graduate studies scholarship in America. It was not like she didn't ask him to go with her and it wasn't like he didn't plead with her to stay. But when all else was settled and she could not be persuaded, Soujirou decided to stay in Japan. _So he found it pretty much unfair for Sanjou-kun to even bring her up even after all this time.

"Not everyone can be as promiscuous as you are, Sanjou-kun," Soujirou proclaimed defensively, trying to look disgusted.

Sanjounin shrugged, unaffected by his friend's chiding. "I guess not," he said, widening his grin. "What about you, Kenta-kun? What's your number? How many have you--?"

"How did I get involved in all this?" Kenta shook his head in annoyance.

_Kenta has had only two girlfriends in the past. All seemed serious relationships compared to Sanjounin's. Or at least the women seemed serious. The last one was a young woman named Chiaki whom he had met in Australia -- his manager. It was she who had said that he would have more stints if he went back to Japan. And it was she who convinced him that if he had all these projects, he would have enough to earn for the business he wanted. So he followed that advice and found himself back in Japan without her. _

_"Yare yare..._ isn't anyone going to be at least share something interesting?" Sanjounin sighed and scratched his head. Of course, there was one other person in that room and Sanjounin hasn't forgotten him yet. Turning to Kamui, who avoided the inevitable question by sipping from his beer can, he asked, "What about you, Kamui-kun? Could she be your very _first_ girlfriend?"

"_Mattaku_, Sanjou-kun! You can't always hit on people who can't get 'lucky' like you do!" Soujirou scolded, jumping to Kamui's defense and relieved that he finally found an ally in him.

Or so he thought. After a long silence, Kenta coughed loudly as Kamui continued to sip from his beer can without looking up to further justify the statement. Sanjounin, in the meantime, failed to restrain his amusement. "You do know that Kamui is rich and travels a lot," Sanjou-kun laughed, his shoulders shaking. "And that they even do things differently in other parts of the world!"

"She's pretty conservative compared to the rest of them," Kamui finally spoke, in time to save Soujirou from further surprise and embarassment, seeing how he easily figured out what Sanjounin meant by that euphemism.

"Oh? What do you mean conservative?" Sanjounin curiously asked.

"A _miko," _Kamui answered.

"_Lucky_..." Sanjounin devilishly grinned. "She's being quite difficult, isn't she? You always like those women who resist you."

Kamui shrugged and huffed the last cloud of smoke from his cigarette. "She has never resisted me," he replied, pointedly looking at Sanjou. "At least not yet." He firmly dipped the used cigarette on his ashtray with enough force to squish that last stick. "But she is pretty difficult," he sighed.

Soujirou put his palm to his forehead in disbelief. "Then you should do something, Kamui!" Soujirou felt compelled to speak that even Kenta had to nod. "It is obvious that you are very much infatuated with this woman!"

"Her name is Hino Rei-san," Kamui retorted, trying to hide his displeasure in impolitely referring to 'her' in the third person.

"Soujirou is right for once," Sanjounin nodded. "At least he's doing a lot for his girl... and he just might get lucky next time, ne... Soujirou-kun?"

"It's easier to project it on someone else when you've been deported to Sapporo, _ne..._ Sanjou-kun?"

Sanjounin's eyes widened in surprise, impressed with Soujirou's impromptu comeback. "Your tactics are probably too weak," he faced Kamui instead. "You have to try and get her alone for awhile so you can get to know her better." He tried to mask his words well.

"I already had a moment alone with her," Kamui corrected.

Sanjounin took a sip from the can of _Kin_ he held and with a twinkle in his eye said, "Here's what you can do..."

_  
Nijuchinichi. Shigatsu. (April 21)_

It was unusually cool in Toyoma that afternoon, and Kamui was glad that the weather had been particularly supportive of his predicament having to wait almost two hours by the park near Waseda-Dori. His willing accomplices however, were not, as he had not seen a trace of them at the agreed time. He impatiently tapped his fingers on the hood of his stunning red Mazda RX-8. He decided he would wait just a little bit longer even though it would seem absurd since his 'sources' told him that her schedule would have meant her class dismissal was over two and a half hours ago. But it didn't matter. He would wait. Sanjounin's plan would have to work.

Ten minutes. Then thirty. And Kamui was still tapping his fingers on the hood of the Mazda RX-8 with no signs of the person he wished to astound with it. He did recognize some of the younger colleagues who passed by the parking lot, and some of the university girls who giggled when they recognized who he was, sitting forlornly _kakkoii_ by his red Mazda. Of course, he wasn't in the mood to socialize with _kouhai_ he previously dated, and of which none that absolutely worked out. So he impatiently grabbed his compact mobile phone from his pocket, angrily opened the receiver and dialled the main conspirator's number.

"_Hai... _Kamui!" The main conspirator answered even before Kamui could say anything.

"Sanjou-kun! I've been waiting here looking weird and self-important," Kamui scolded, trying to hide his face in the phone's receiver. "Where is she?"

There was a slight pause. "_Eeto..._Kamui-kun," there was disappointment in Sanjounin's voice. "She didn't attend classes today."

"_Nani_!" Kamui angrily asked. "Why did you wait this long to tell me?"

"Give me a break!" Sanjounin protested. "I don't go to this university. I had to ask around until I was lucky enough to find someone who can tell me where she was."

"Where is she?"

"She's at home," Sanjounin answered. "She's been sick maybe two or three days. The answer varies based on the person I've asked."

_Sick?_ Of all the luck.  
He should've known that this plan would not have worked from the beginning anyway. He pictured Rei-san walking outside the steps of Toyoma, trying to make her way throught the parking lot. If Sanjounin and Soujirou (along with a reluctant Kenta-kun) would sneak in and try to harass her verbally (Kamui expressly told them not to touch her), she would simply flip her hair and pretend not hear them at all. Also, two of her shadows named Kishino and one other loser whose name escaped him at the moment, would come, follow her and if they can't take on big men like Kenta, they would simply shout and cause a commotion. That would still not be enough for him to come out of his hiding place and rescue Rei-san from them all... riding in his new Mazda RX-8 and thanking him for being there at the _right place at the right time_.

"_Moshi-moshi_, Kamui-kun? Kenta-kun already left an hour ago and Soujirou and I have to go," Sanjounin broke the pause on the other line. "I still have cooking classes to attend."

"Cooking classes?" Kamui could hear Soujirou in the background asking in disbelief and his animated laughter that followed soon after.

Kamui nodded. "Very well, I'll just have to go on Plan B," he said. "_Arigatou, _Sanjou-kun."

"Plan B?"

Kamui had already clicked the receiver before he could explain. He grabbed the car keys from his pocket and pressed the button that would trigger the automatic lock.

"_Anoo..._ Kamui-san..." A meek voice called him from behind.

She was surely _kouhai_ and he probably met her in one of his classes in either first or second year. He did not remember her name. She smiled weakly at him, blushing, and trying to hide behind her long brown hair. "Do you still remember me?" she shly asked.

"_Gomen nasai_," Kamui apologized as he opened the car door. "But I don't. I'm really sorry." He quickly shut the door and turned the keys in the ignition much to the disappointment of the young student.

Plan B. And he was in a hurry.

_Plan B._ Kamui's words still resound in Sanjounin's mind like a brilliant idea. That, along with Soujirou's teasing over him taking cooking classes. So inspired by both his friend's arduous and sentimental commitment, and happily seeing the _gindara_ he could take him to eat today, he decided to try and do Plan B of his own.

"_Ne, sensei_!" Sanjounin asked when everyone else had gone and only his _sensei_ was left to clean her table. "I accidentally gave you the wrong tickets. May I please have them back?"

_Wrong tickets?_ Makoto's head peeped from behind the table with her eyebrow raised. _What was he talking about?_ "You mean you intended to give them to me?" she asked. "I thought you had just left them on the table."

"May I have them back please?" Sanjounin asked, ignoring the question.

While Makoto was not really intent on keeping those that didn't belong to her, her curiosity grew at that time that she found the tickets she was sure her star pupil had slipped on her table. That concert was supposed to be today and she was actually raring to go. Still, she did not understand what the big deal was anyway and why he would demand those things back, talking impolitely like that. So she took the tickets out of her apron and gave it to him.

"_Arigatou_," her star pupil said in gratitude. He reached into his pockets and brought out two tickets that were colored blue this time. "This," he said. "are the ones that I should've given you."

Makoto raised an eyebrow again. "_Nani_?" The text on the tickets read 'Club Zu.'

"This shall be on the 22nd instead of the 20th," he told her. "This one is for you." He handed her one of the tickets and pushed them with his hand towards her. "And this one is for me. I shall hope to see you then."

_Ha?_ Makoto blankly stared at the ticket in surprise. "_Matte!"_ she exclaimed. "I-i-i...is t-this... t-this sounds like a date!"

"Well it won't be if you don't show up," Sanjounin replied.

Makoto's eyes remained comically like two dots blankly staring as she saw her star pupil exit the door, happily carrying the wrapped recipe whose presentation he again had messed but whose tasted remained to be remarkably good. _How strangely confusing! _His lightly colored eyes mocked her everytime she stared and his long, wavy locks reminded her of someone.

_"Sempai..."_ she instinctively whispered.

_Sempai_? Makoto scowled with that Freudian slip. She then proceeded to arrange the pots and pans under her table before her thoughts motivate her to break anything.

"_Ojii-san! _Please let me help you!" Rei weakly tried to reach for the broom from her grandfather.

"You are really stubborn just like your father," her grandfather shook his head, tightly clasping the broom with his right hand. "You still can't go work in this condition!"

"I am fine now, _ojii-san_," she lied. Then, pulling a little from her grandfather, she turned her face towards the other direction and sneezed twice.

"_Mattaku! _Look how stubborn you are, granddaughter!" her grandfather scolded. "Next thing you know, your fever will be worse by tomorrow!"

"But who's going to help you around here, _ojii-san_?"

Just then, they had heard the two ravens caw as they sat atop the roof of the Sanctuary. The golden highlights of the visitors mane became even more and more visible as he gained a higher and higher level on the stairs of Hikawa Jinja. Her sickly condition made her blearily see him at this distance that it was easy to recognize who he was.

"Kamui..." Rei whispered his name.

And that was the signal they needed from their master. The two ravens swooped down on Kamui on signal, although this time it seemed as though they had received instruction not to hurt him for he did not feel them striking him with his beak. They flapped their wings around him, blocking his line of sight, so he raised his arm to protect himself.

"Phobos! Deimos! Stop this at once!" he heard the old man say, and peeked from under his arm to see him shooing them away with his hands.

The two ravens hastened immediately at the command and instead of perching on their post on top of the Sanctuary, Kamui saw them fly inside the house. Someone had forgotten to shut the _shoji_ sliding door tight, making way for the ravens to instinctively make their way towards their master. It seemed she had disappeared and had run inside the house.

"_Gomen nasai, _Kamui-dono," her grandfather bowed and apologized. "Phobos and Deimos don't normally attack people. I wonder why they have done that just now!"

"So I've heard," Kamui answered. But it was not the ravens attacking him again that disappointed him.

"Would you like to come inside the house?" her grandfather offered as a consolation. "I'm sure Rei-chan would be pleased to see you."

Kamui nodded. He followed the old man inside the house and carelessly stepped on the wilted pink rose that they had forgotten at the side of the door. He was then led inside the living room. "Rei-chan!" the old man called, knocking at the other side of the _shoji_ screen. "Please come out and be polite to our guest here!"

"That's her bedroom on the other side," her grandfather whispered to Kamui. He then scurried towards the passage corridor and slid the door in front of him.

Kamui knelt on the pillow on the floor to wait for a proper welcome. He tapped his fingers on his knees as he leaned to wait for her to push the sliding door. But the silhouette remained that same medium height, as she was also kneeling down on the other side of the room, in stasis.

"Rei-san?" he called out, stretching his neck for a closer look.

The shadow did not answer.

"Rei-san?" Kamui called again, hurriedly tapping his fingers on his knees with impatience.

On the other side of the room, Hino Rei covered her nose and mouth with her right hand in order to prevent herself from creating any unnecessary noise. Her left hand held a moist white handkerchief and with it, waved to the two ravens perched at her side to remain quiet as well. She still felt uneasy after two days of staying in bed with the flu, her vision still bleary with tears and drowsy from the capsules her grandfather asked her to take that noon. Most of all, the stupid cold made her unable to take a bath for two days lest she develop another fever, making her unruly hair sticky. And this was the day she felt conscious of the _kimono_ that she wore for the past two days. She tried to wipe off the drips of mucus on the _kimono_'s collar for the past few minutes that she sat there and was not successful in doing so.

From allowing the sliding door to have a small slit for her to look through, she could see Kamui-san kneeling down on the pillows of the living room, tapping his fingers on his knees. He looked polished and suave, as he always did. The light highlights of his cropped hair brought out the chiseled features of his face. Kamui-san was wearing a black wool turtleneck that defined his medium and toned built. Maybe it was the drugs she had been taking or her nausea, but Kamui looked exceptionally handsome that day. Staring at him through the slit of the sliding door was not enough. And seeing him like that made her feel uneasy if he should ever see her looking like that.

Unfortunately, she felt a sneeze coming. She tightly pinched her nose to control her breathing.

"Rei-san?" Kamui called her name for the third time, gritting his teeth and pinching his knees with his fingers in annoyance.

The impolite host did not move her shadow.

Kamui sighed, tapped his hand on his sore knees and stood up. "Very well," he conceded. "I just came to see how you were doing, Rei-san. Get well soon."

_Is he leaving?_ She got what she wanted. Although she had no idea that it was actually this disappointing. She sneezed.

Kamui stopped in his steps when he had heard it. So that was really her behind the sliding door! How recklessly impolite. How can such a girl ever get the nerve to do that to him? _Him! _Kamui Asano!

He furiously walked towards the sliding door that divided them and pushed it open. "What are you doing hiding there all this time?" he said angrily, that even the ravens beside were too alarmed to move. "Don't they teach you how to properly receive guests by those nuns?"

Rei's first reaction was at first to gasp and blush at the predicament of him seeing her like that. Then after hearing him say those words, worry changed to antagonism.

"How dare you barge in here like that?" she shouted in a muffled voice, covering her swollen nose. "Didn't they teach you how to act in someone else's house?" She sneezed twice, ungracefully spraying some on his newly polished boots. "And how did you know about the nuns in my high school?"

Kamui was not paying attention to her words. Her unusually unkempt appearance was a far cry from the sophisticated Shinto priestess that he saw that day her ravens attacked him. And he surmised that her cheeks were not red due to the slight fever but because she was too embarassed to see anyone. _Mattaku!_ _Women and the way they think!_ He shook his head, bent down and stretched his arms to carry her.

"_Yare yare..._ you're so silly sitting there when you should be resting!" he scolded as he carried her over to her _futon_.

As he was quick and she was too weak, Rei could only gasp in protest. It was only a short distance to her _futon_ anyway so it only takes a small effort for him to carry here there. On normal days, she would have easily jumped from that kind of harassment though. She could not even let _youma_ touch her, more so someone like him.

As soon as he laid her on her _futon, _he saw that she would still not look at him. Apparently, all the more embarassed at what he had done. He was only trying to make a point. He stood up at the foot of her _futon_ and said, "_Baka..._"

_Baka?_ She sneezed. "Who are you calling _baka_?" she stared at him angrily.

Kamui bent down, looked straight in her eye and seriously uttered, "I saw you outside before you ran in here. You were trying to get yourself sick."

Rei tried to avoid his sharp gaze and wondered why he's very much concerned over a simple illness. Surely, she was not deserving of his attention. "I was only trying to help _ojii-san_," she told him truthfully, fixing her gaze at her wet hankerchief. "There are so many things to do in the shrine."

Kamui nodded. He stood up and stepped towards the exit to the living room. "You should rest, Rei-san," he told her and continued to walk out of her room without looking back.

"_Matte..."_ She called to stop him and sneezed. Just in time for him to close the sliding door behind him.

Kamui could hear three more sneezes before he found himself out of the house. His watch read 5:00 pm. Hino-san's _ojii-san_ was still out on the shrine grounds, sweeping the leaves to a corner. He watched as the old man strenuously bent down to pick up a piece of trash left by one of the visitors. He shook his head again and went towards the old man.

"_Sumimasen_, _ojii-san_," he called to the old man. "There's just isn't enough help for you around here, isn't it?" This time when he grabbed the broom from him, the old man did not protest as he did his granddaughter.

"When I become an elected official, I will make sure that they pass a better budget for the protection of our historical landmarks such as this shrine. Won't that be good, _ojii-san_?"

_Ojii-san_ smiled. "_Sou da ne..._" he said, patting Kamui on his shoulder. "That's one idea I agree on with Rei-chan's father. He asked the mayor of Tokyo to do just that."

About an hour later, Kamui now understood why the back of Rei-san's grandfather was breaking. It was not because of old age. It was because Hikawa Jinja covered a huge area and was quite huge to manage. He was too ashamed to complain for he had done two things only. The first was to sweep the leaves off the grounds of Hikawa Jinja. And although he only was required to sweep the front of the Sanctuary, those leaves seemed as if they never ceased falling. The second was that he was asked by _ojii-san_ to carry an armful of wood to burn in the Meditation Room.

The tasks seemed daunting for someone not used to manual labor. Grappling huge and heavier opponents in _jiujitsu_ was another thing since he was good at that and he enjoyed it. Doing all that was another thing. Now he was very much keen on passing a better budget, like he said he would. And Kamui was now re-thinking of ever returning to Hikawa Jinja. Sure, she was a _bijin_ and all, but was it worth all the difficulty in even trying to see her? It may be that she really ran off to hide from seeing him not because of her illness, but because she never liked him to begin with. He did not see any indication that she was at least interested in becoming his friend. Could she have liked Kishino-kun? _That lucky bastard. _

His watch read 5:50 pm. He made one last look at Hikawa Jinja, staring at the roof of the Sanctuary where the ravens usually perched. _Nishida would be happy with my decision_, he thought.

"_Anoo..._Asano-san?" He heard the familiar voice of the old man before he could walk out.

"Is there anything wrong, _ojii-san_?" Kamui asked.

"I have just given Rei-chan her medicine," he told Kamui. "But I forgot to check the Meditation Room if the fires have been properly lit. I have to go and see if they have been or else it might burn the shrine." He handed Kamui something. "Can you please put this on Rei-chan's forehead? She's in her bedroom sleeping. I'm sure she won't mind."

As soon as Rei-san's grandfather left, Kamui looked at the cold compress on his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. _Oh well_... he thought. He lazily made his way towards the living room where he impatiently waited for her and took the time to contemplate as to whether he would enter her bedroom again. _How many guys usually have this privilege?_ He smiled. At least he would not feel a sense of rejection from her cold stare again.

Kamui slowly opened the sliding door, as if taking his time. He entered the room and closed the door behind him. When he turned, he finally saw her sleeping peacefully on her _futon_. Her lips were a pale pink from the flu and her cheeks naturally blushed because of her slight fever. In what she feared was her most dismal state, the illness actually physically transformed Hino Rei to look like an angel. An angel snoring due to hardened breathing, but an angel nonetheless. Kamui could feel his heart stop at the sight of her sleeping.

He stepped slowly towards her to make little noise so as not to wake her. He bent down to gently remove the bangs off her feverish forehead and carefully laid the compress on top of it. "So beautiful..." Kamui whispered. "From the moment I saw her... "

_A sense of deja vu_. The sound of the raven's screeching outside seemed alarming.

After Kamui's 'good deed,' her grandfather profusely thanked Kamui and even escorted him towards the door of the house for all his help. _Oji-san_ claimed he could not have done without him, and that even the Shrine could have been burnt, had Kamui not been there. And that Kamui's timing was impeccable.

"Usually, Rei-chan would be the one in charge of those things," the old man said, smiling. "During the time when I was the one who was sick, she took off a week from school and told me to entrust all duties to her."

"It seems that she's very attached to this shrine," Kamui commented truthfully.

_Ojii-san_ nodded. "Her father became too busy and her mother had died. So when she was 12, she asked that she live and settle here with me."

_Subarashii._ She had been responsible ever since she was 12. Despite both of them having almost the same situation, he had only learned to have that sense of responsibility when he was halfway through college in Waseda. Helping out her grandfather today was probably only a glimpse of what was happening in her world. Surely there were more, and even better answers to the _miko_'s indifference. He had been too quick to judge. Hino Rei only appeared to be cold and distant, but within her laid an impressive character. And there was nothing else but longing to find out all about it.

Kamui looked up at the roof of the Sanctuary and again at the top of the _torii_ post as he made his way down the stairs of Hikawa Jinja. Safely. He smiled. He was already getting used to this.

- tsuzuku -

---------------------------------------------  
**chiisai noto:**  
Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. - Check the author's notes for reference.

I actually have a lot of things planned for Rei and Jadeite in here. One is a festival (which is rily required of all things anime in the Japanese calendar) and the entrance of new characters (or not so new at all -). I'm actually beginning to like the Minako-Kunzite present-day twist. Sounds like fun. And although I'm only going to put vignettes here, it'll be fun to explore other senshi for a little bit. By the way, I'm having a bad month ;; as things weren't going well for my job so please bear with me if you find this boring. ;; (And yes, who's promiscuous among the generals/shittenou ... stays! ;p) By the way, I planned the dialogues almost exactly like the manga... so... less description.


	7. 05: Revelation

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 5 - Revelation**

_Nijuninichi. Shigatsu. (April 22)_

Kino Makoto fidgeted with the hem of her new orange blouse. It was the shirt Minako had suggested when they shopped the day before. Minako said that it would be a welcome change. Club Zu was no ordinary club. It was a haunt for university graduates trying to unwind. It was crowd full of artists and hip intellectuals.

Makoto wouldn't have known. She was only there for about thirty minutes and was not even able to watch the band before they played. _If it weren't for that idiot._.. she fumed. She wouldn't have been sitting on this blue couch. She had been waiting there for the past fifteen minutes too.

Where had he gone?

Makoto turned her head towards the kitchen and tried to see if he would come out from behind those misplaced boxes. There were tons of them still lying over the place. How could her star pupil be this unruly? Oh well... they should have flaws after all, and he doesn't try to hide it either. She stood up and decided to go towards the corridor that he sneaked into to tell him that there was no need to bother. She can handle going home on her own. And just as she was about to, her foot had accidentally bumped into a wooden object from behind the boxes that lay. Her reflexes acted just in time to catch it from falling to the floor.

An acoustic guitar? She held the shiny instrument by its neck and gently touched the strings. _Ah...sou... he's a musician. _

_Sugoi..._ she whispered, impressed. She could just imagine him playing it in Club Zu. Why, if it hadn't been for that unfortunate incident, she would've probably seen him play. For some odd reason, being a musician suited Sanjounin well. His rough and slightly calloused fingers were marks of a musician. It would be interesting to know what he would've looked like playing that guitar.

"_Anoo... sensei!_"

His deep voice interrupted the images in her head as he entered his own living room. She quickly raised the neck of the guitar and leaned it against the cardboard boxes where it originally stood. When she turned to him, he quickly gestured for her to sit down on the sofa where she had patiently waited for him. She frowned at him as sign of disapproval and obediently sat down to where he had pointed to.

Sanjounin took some cotton, poured some alcohol on it, and taking Makoto's left hand, rubbed it on the wound on the back of her fist. The stinging sensation only made Makoto twitch in pain, and the moment that she did only brought nothing but _ecchi_ thoughts in Sanjounin's mind, he couldn't help but smirk.

"What's so funny?" Makoto curiously asked, frowning.

Sanjounin shook his head and peeled the gauze from its package. "Nothing," he answered, plastering the piece of bandage on her wounded fist. "I just thought you were really something down there at Club Zu."

"He was trying to hurt her," Makoto answered defensively, taking her hand off from his grasp to cross her arms. "I had to come in and help."

Sanjounin nodded this time. "There's no excuse about that," he said. "He does deserve that punch. I just never thought you were that strong. I always figured you were... " He paused and rubbed his chin, smiling mischievously.

"I was...?" Her grimacing eyes inquired.

Sanjounin sighed, hesitating for a moment. "More... feminine," he finally answered.

Makoto blushed. While she engaged in a lot of domestic chores and even revelled in most of them, nobody had given that kind of impression on her. Most especially not one coming from a guy -- her perfect and disorganized star student even. She tried to compose herself and attributed such unwarranted opinions to her blouse. Dressing up gave such an impact. She wondered if she could take lessons from Minako-chan.

"_Anooo..._What do you mean by that?" she calmly challenged, making sure that he would not get away with it easily.

"I meant nothing by it," Sanjounin answered truthfully. And he would've elaborated more on his answer except he saw the worried and curious expression on her face... and actually wanted to keep it that way.

"M-most people often think... that it's the other way around," she explained. "That is why I'm very surprised."

Sanjounin chuckled -- that was exactly what he had expected.

Makoto winced and shook her head. She tried to regain her composure by trying to change the subject. "I-"

"-I've been dabbling into different kinds of music for a long time," he promptly interrupted. "I would like you to hear some of the music I've been playing... if you're interested."

"Music?" She looked down and tried to hide her interest in the subject.

Sanjounin nodded. "_Hai!_" he said as he rose to his feet. "Come on over to my room and I'll show you."

"Y-your room?" _Masaka..._ what casual invitation already, she thought, trying her best not to assume any other 'ideas.'

Sanjounin nodded again. "That's where I keep everything that's important to me," he said, his voice trailing as he walked towards his room. "Come on inside as soon as you're ready. I'm going to go in and set it up. It's quite heavy"

_Yappari..._ Makoto thought to herself when he left her alone in the living room, fidgeting with her hair contemplating on whether to accept the invitation or not. First, how can a guitar be heavy? And why did it need to take long in setting it up? And why did he sound so casual in invitating guests to his room? It was hard to be objective when strange ideas kept popping into one's head especially when one very good looking _shounen_ who probably had a lot of _experience_ gave _that kind_ of invitation.

First off, she surmised that Sanjounin was not that type of person. But who was she? An ordinary girl who may just happen to tickle his fancy just because she was his _sensei? _She tried to erase all these thoughts and found herself in front of the door of his room contemplating whether to enter it or not. She heard the soft twangs of the strings on his guitar. _He must be very talented_. The notes also sounded familiar... like the ones she used to sing in elementary school. _Okashii na..._ She would think that Sanjounin would at least play heavy music like those in Club Zu instead of folk music. She put her hand on the cold door knob and gulped.

"_Ahh..._ there you are, _sensei!" _

Makoto's eyes widened. Sanjounin sat on the floor with the claws of the instrument on his fingers, playing folk music with one of his prized instruments -- the _koto._ Makoto couldn't help but smile. _Meet my 'boyfriend'... the koto player! _She could hear herself laughing. "T-this is your instrument?" she asked, chuckling.

Sanjounin smiled, still focused on his _koto_ and not noticing her amused expression. "Yes, I became a professional _koto _player when I went to Sapporo," he told her proudly. "I apologize for the mess in my room," he continued, referring to the various black cases, nicely organized this time but minimized the space around his bed. "I keep most of my instruments in here so it will be safer, so I don't let people in."

"All these instruments are yours?" she can't help but be impressed, although not by the mess by far.

"You can play the _koto_ with the contra-bass for music we call alternative jazz," he explained. "I try my hand at the contra-bass once in awhile. Maybe in the future I'll get to show you."

Makoto smiled as he tried to pluck the _koto_ with the usual folk tunes. Sanjounin seemed to be good at almost everything he tried his hand on -- from playing all kinds of instruments to cooking _sukiyaki_. Sitting in front of him while he played the _koto,_ she was glad to have given him the benefit of the doubt. And sitting there with him reminded him of a distinct image... like one such person in junior high school...

"What are you thinking of, _sensei_?" Sanjounin chided, looking at her and smiling.

"That was... what my _sempai_ used to hum and sing whenever he was bored," she blushed.

Sanjounin smiled, adjusted the claws on his fingers, and shifted to a happier and _different_ tone. "What instrument does he play?" he asked.

Makoto paused and thought for a moment. "_Anoo_... I think it's... the guitar," she answered.

"_Sou ka..._" he said, plucking the strings tighter. "That was the one thing I used to do in high school as well." He paused and gave her a jeering look. "But it was too easy. I got bored with it."

_Jukunichi. Shichigatsu. (July 19)_

Kamui Asano dutifully straightened his tie as he stood outside the door of his father's office. Nishida made him consciously aware of this date as his father's busy schedule had not allowed him to see his son for months. With considerable credit to his father, Junichiro Asano made sure that he would have a meeting with his son at least once a month by taking him out to have a one-on-one dinner and catching up with his education and activities, especially since he had great plans in grooming his own son as his successor.

The meetings were not always this formal when Kamui was younger and he was lucky enough to experience closeness with a real father as he grew up spending weekends being taught baseball and flying kites with him. However, as the elder Asano began to hold higher and higher positions in public office and being convinced that his son had to grow independent while he was still young, the meetings grew less and less and formal addresses were required in the very few meetings that he had as part of the protocol.

An audience with his father such as this one was always treated as a political meeting. Therefore, Kamui made sure that his appearance was true Asano perfection by preparing his suit and a bunch of well-prepared inspiring stories on his life that he was ready to tell his father.

"_Ohayoo gozaimasu, _Father_," _Kamui confidently greeted and bowed as soon as he entered Junichiro Asano's office.

The elder Asano was standing by the window looking at the gardens from the view in his office. He smiled as soon as he heard his son's voice and walked towards him. "Ahh... I am so glad to see you again, son," Junichiro said as he patted his son's shoulder. "Take a seat."

Kamui did as he was told while his father went to his own seat at the back of his desk. "I have very good and important news to tell you," his father announced happily. "You will be the first one to know outside of the DLP."

"You are to become its next president?" Kamui asked. He had read the news of a possible shuffle in the Diet in the papers. The speculation at least that Prime Minister Teruhiro Saeki would be replaced for poor reforms was all over the headlines. His father was recently involved in the meetings of the DLP and was next in line to its candidacy.

Junichiro Asano smiled. "My son is truly brilliant," he said, gleaming. "We shall know the outcome in the fall while there are talks on the Cabinet and upcoming reforms. There is however, one obstacle to my candidacy."

Kamui exhaled. He knew the answer but he stared at his father and waited for him to speak instead.

"Hino Ryoichi," the elder Asano answered with a gleam in his eye. "He's a brilliant man if only he hadn't turned his back from the DLP. His new SCP party actually seems to have a chance if they can get four independents to go on their side."

_Hino Ryoichi_. The mere sound of his name made Kamui lose focus on his father's concern for the rival, but rather on Hino-san's daughter. He just realized that he had not seen her for more than a month even though he also attended lectures and audit classes in Waseda. She belonged to a different campus and his schedule was extremely busy. There was just the one time he caught a glimpse of her taking the bus near Waseda Dori. His long absence might have actually given Kishino-kun and the others a headstart. Even though he was sure that he was a lot better than Kishino-kun and all the others combined, he was actually concerned with the competition.

But now he must keep his focus on his own father's issues. It would seem odd though that it would be these same issues that would remind him of Hino Rei.

"It seems that he's still that big of a threat to your campaign," Kamui commented.

"No more than I am to him," his father confidently answered. "Hino-san and I go way back in Waseda. It is actually ironic that he now seems to hate me for my success."

"Hino-san seems to have a penchant for pushing for unpopular reforms in the Diet," Kamui explained. "And often argues that many of his colleagues in the Diet are still quite conservative." He stopped himself from saying anything further lest his father knew that he was a burgeoning Hino admirer by studying his proposed reforms for his thesis in Waseda. And recently last April, developed a parallel fascination for his offspring as well.

"That is Ryoichi-kun for you! Always a stubborn man!" Junichiro Asano exclaimed, laughing, almost echoing the thoughts of his son regarding his daughter. "Well then, have you already thought about your future, Kamui?" his father asked, changing the subject.

"I am looking into it, Father," he quickly answered, hiding any tinge of uncertainty.

"You have completed Law at Waseda for a mere four years. That's quite an achievement."

"_Arigato gozaimasu, otoo-sama," _Kamui thanked his father. "As we have discussed earlier, I shall give you my answer at the end of August."

"I am actually considering that you study in London," Junichiro Asano suggested. "Going there will you give you a better worldview to prepare you for your career."

"I shall look into that, Father," he politely agreed, his gaze firmly fixed at him.

"Very well," Junichiro Asano smiled. "I guess we will be looking forward to decisions made at the end of summer. My leadership of the DLP and your decision on how to approach your own career. Hopefully we both get very good results."

Kamui tried to hide his resentment. Even his decision by the end of August would be subject to his father's approval and only _his father _would get good results. At the very least, he was thankful that his father at least gave him half a year to think since he graduated from Waseda last September on what to do next. At that time, he had almost assured the elder Asano that he would pursue his studies abroad, possibly in London or Germany and come back to Japan to serve as a civil servant. But things had changed since he came back to Japan and he was seriously contemplating on staying, had it not been for the existence of his own father's rival.

Kamui stood up and bowed to his father. "Thank you for your time, _otoo-sama_," he said. _"Ich wünsche Ihnen Erfolg_."

"You should practice your German more, Kamui," his father grinned, being very fluent on the language.

"Do you see that?" He pointed to the framed banner that bore the image of two leaves crossed on top of the other. "That is the Asano family crest which was used by our ancestors ever since the feudal era. One of our ancestors was Yoshiaki Asano. Do you know who he was?"

"_Haii,_" Kamui answered. "He was noted to be a patron of the arts during that time."

His father nodded. "By the end of August, we should be known by more important things such as public administration and management rather than for sitting around and doing calligraphy," the elder Asano never ceased to confidently smile as he spoke. "I shall only expect the best from you."

"That you can be assured of, _otoo-sama_," this time the younger Asano answered truthfully and without hesitation.

"I was only playing with you!" Junichiro Asano slapped him on the shoulders and laughed. "Come on, son! Lighten up!"

Kamui forced a smile, not knowing how to react to his father's usual jovial temperament. He then politely bowed and went towards the door to take his leave.

"By the way," his father called as he was about to open the door. "I am sponsoring a couple of fireworks in the summer celebration at Sumida River. I think it is best that you come and take part in the celebration."

...

"_Gomen nasai,_" Rei answered, after gently sipping her tea. "I am too busy to take part in such celebrations."

"Hino Rei-san, your father himself requests you to go," Ono Kagura-san calmly replied, trying her best not to lose her patience. "He will be one of the guests of honor that day in Sumida River and will be sponsoring a various _hanabi_ for the citizens to enjoy as well." Ono-san smiled proudly as she announced.

Rei gracefully put down her cup of tea and shook her head. "Won't it be better for the citizens if it had been donated to a scholarship trust fund?" she asked poised after taking a sip of her tea again. "It's like burning money," she added bluntly.

Ono-san tried to regain her composure from that last remark, tightly squeezing the tea cup she held in her hand. "That Junichiro beat us to a lot of philantropic events than you can imagine. Besides, it's a highly regarded celebration since the 1800s," she answered in a tone marked with full restraint. "Your father is a guest of honor there. Well... supposing that Junichiro would not go and ruin everything, your father will make sure your family name gets recognized. Your father highly insists that you go to-"

"--To show to the world that he raised a daughter alone?" Rei answered in monotone. This time, she was the one tightly clenching her fist. She looked at Ono-san who winced as she sat in front of her. "Tell my father I am very sorry but I am very busy," she said as she flipped her hair. "Tell him, '_Omedetou'_ and I--"

"--He has asked me to check the Dean of your college to excuse you for the activities that day," Ono-san interrupted. "He has also asked me to check with your grandfather and he has agreed to relieve you of your duties as well. It seems that he would not take no for an answer, Rei-san."

Rei put the cup in her lips and discreetly sighed before she took a sip of her tea.

"_Gomen nasai,_ Rei-san," Ono-san apologized, much to Rei's surprise as it seemed Ono-san had been sensitive to her disappointment so she didn't try anything to hide it. "It is only one day and it is important to your father," Ono-san continued. I think you can behave yourself enough for one day just to endure it."

Or maybe not.

Rei noisily slurped of what remained in her cup like an uncouth child playing with food. It was her way of saying yes.

...

_Nijushichinichi. Shichigatsu. (July 27)_

"Are you ready, Kamui-dono?"

Kamui nodded and straightened his tie. From the raised platform, he could see the masses that thronged by the banks of Sumida River. Some of them were dressed in _yukata_ enjoying the cool breeze of the summer night. The guests on the reserved seats in front of him were engaged in noisy gossip, each one trying to outdo each other as to who knew which famous person that was in that event. He actually wished he could just be in the crowd of regular people in _yukatas_, taking their girlfriends to enjoy the special _hanabi_ (fireworks) of the night, instead of sitting by his father's side trying to look presentable to the cameras.

There were a lot of media people covering the event and one network dedicated itself to covering all that was there. Already, Kamui could spot the places where he could slip out undetected by anyone, even and especially by Nishida whose attention was directed towards his father's security. But he wouldn't. There was no reason to do that. Tonight would mark his place among the power brokers in the Diet.

"Red Two! Red Two!" He overheard the voice on the valet's radio.

"Yes, I copy," the valet answered.

"MP Hino is coming," the voice said, instantly startling Kamui. "I repeat, MP Hino is coming. Please gather all escorts to the entrance."

"_Yokai!"_

"Ahh... Asano-dono is here sponsoring the event as well." He was a tall figure and towered even higher than some of his bodyguards. He fixed the cuffs of his coat and forced a smile. "_Omoshiroii_..."

"It is, isn't it?" Ono-san smiled as well, trying to catch up with the fast pace of her boss as he walked towards the entrance along with all other bodyguards. "This sign of unity will give us good publicity with the press!"

He nodded. "How are you doing, Rei?" he asked, disappointing Ono-san that his attention immediately diverted away from her.

"I am fine, Father," she answered as she walked by Ono-san's side behind Ryoichi Hino, obviously a famous and respected politician. Already, he was being hounded by a couple of photographers even though he was not yet inside the event area. She was used to attending lots of festivals herself but those did not gather much media attention. It was only at this time that she felt safe by Ono-san's side.

"Kagura! Make sure you take care of my daughter," Ryoichi Hino instructed. "I am very sure you will enjoy this occasion, Rei." He looked behind his back at her and grinned. "There is someone I want you to meet."

Ten minutes ago, Kamui had a dilemma. He wanted to meet the man he had admired himself -- the author of various reform bills in the Diet as well as leader of the SCP Party, and at the same time have his moment with his daughter. Kamui did understand how trivial the dilemma was but he was quite convinced that the mere thirty minutes of the day would change his life forever and he did not want to fail. When finally he had decided to, he took no moment to spare in carrying out his plan. It was actually very easy -- easier to carry out his plans in a place surrounded by security than slipping out of Waseda.

Now Ryoichi Hino is taking the steps up the stage where he stood beside his father as part of his entourage.

_The First Agenda._

"Ahh... Hino-dono! Good evening!" Junichiro Asano happily smiled as he bowed.

"Asano-dono, good evening!" Ryoichi Asano's greeting was not as enthused as his rival but he courteously smiled as he bowed.

"I am very glad to see you part of this event as well, Hino-dono!" Junichiro Asano happily greeted. "It looks like this will be the biggest event for Sumida River ever since they started this a hundred years ago!" He laughed heartily.

"It seems the media is happy to see us together in a place where we're not bickering," Ryoichi Hino said without flinching.

Kamui chuckled. Ryoichi Asano sported the same sarcastic grin and he was a man of a few blunt words, exactly like his daughter. His own father in the meantime remained jovial despite the sarcasm and even laughed appreciatively complimenting Hino-dono on his "good nature."

"By the way, this is my son, Kamui," his father introduced soon after.

"I am very pleased to meet your acquaintance, Hino-dono," Kamui formally replied as he gave a very low bow. "I am an admirer of Technology Reform bill three years ago. It was a great benefit for our economy." It was a safe compliment as it was a bill his own father co-authored... at Kamui's own urging in fact.

"It would not have been so without your father's support," Ryoichi Hino replied, sincerely smiling at Kamui. "It's admirable that your son is concerned about our nation, Asano-dono. Not everyone remembers that bill."

"It was the subject of one of my papers in Waseda," Kamui proudly answered.

"You also came from Waseda. _Subarashii..."_ Ryoichi Hino's eyes lighted at his young comrade. "My daughter also studies at Waseda." He turned to the woman beside him. "Ono-san?"

Ono-san exaggeratedly grinned, looked behind her and after a moment of realization, began searching her left, right and behind her for the young girl she thought was just by her side. Signs of panic began to show on her usually perky face.

Kamui tried his best to act calm and composed as though he had not known who was lost nor show any sign of concern as to her sudden disappearance. A continuous 'Beep' that rang inside the pocket of his coat was overpowered by the deafening sounds of the sound system where the emcee announced that the program for the Sumida River Festival is about to begin.

"_Anoo... _" she worriedly began.

The aides of both famous gentlemen quickly escorted them to their place on the stage while the distraught Ono-san profusely apologized to Ryoichi Hino's obvious gaze of disappointment at her. And so it was then that Kamui approached her as she seated herself between his father and Hino Rei's. He bent down near her shoulder to make sure that both Ryoichi Hino and his father would hear.

"_Daijoubu desu yo, _Ono-san," Kamui spoke with gentlemanly concern. "I shall find her."

_The Second Agenda. _

Hino Rei walked back and forth, hugging herself with her own arms to ward off the cold from the breeze. Her father's aide who brought her there received instruction from his radio that he was to secure the backstage from any threat to MP Hino. Apparently, she was a lower priority, being left to wait there outside the stage area for her own instructions as well. She stared at the couples dressed in yukata walking towards the park with their hands linked, listening to the emcee's introductory remarks regarding the historical events of the Sumida River Festival.

"Are you alright, Hino Rei-san?" She could barely hear the familiar voice underneath all that booming sound.

Kamui, handsomely dressed in a formal coat and tie, stood in front of her smiling. She smiled back, happy to have found a comrade in the situation. But before she could utter a word to greet him, light flashed in front of her. Squinting to get rid of the black afterimages from the camera shots, Kamui had already dragged her by the banks of the Sumida River, and she found herself walking briskly along with him without as much of an opportunity to protest on the situation.

"Reporters!" Kamui answered what was in her thoughts. "We have to get rid of them."

"_Matte!"_ she shouted, skidding her heels to stop. She shrugged his hand off her arm and looked at him angrily. "There must be a better way than this!"

Ten minutes later, Kamui was rowing a boat on the Sumida along with a few couples wearing their yukata and waiting for the fireworks to begin. Hino Rei was resting her chin on her hand, her eyes fixed on the sky waiting for the fireworks as well. Kamui laughed. He did not expect the situation to progress this good -- sitting with a _bijin_ on a boat on the Sumida waiting for the fireworks, like a perfect high school date. It was _her_ idea.

"What's so funny?" Hino Rei asked.

"Nothing! I--"

_Beep! Beep! "Red Two! Red Two! Report your situation! Over!"_

The little radio on his pocket was too persistent in beeping over such a 'small' emergency.

_Beep! Beep! "Red Two! Red Two! Hino-dono's daughter is missing. Ono-kachou said that she didn't give instructions for her to leave--"_

"She's alright," Kamui spoke in low, muffled voice on the radio. "She got lost. She'll be on her way there shortly."

_Beep! Beep! "Thank goodness! Her father--" _

Click.

"_Uso..._" she sneeringly told him, giving him a sharp look, now that she knew who was behind all this ... 'misdirection.' The one who led her and her father's aide away from the stage.

"Don't worry, Rei-san. They will be okay," he answered with a smirk. "I assured Ono-san not to be worried. I told her I will find you."

"Then row farther and just tell her that you had trouble finding me," Rei answered, rolling her eyes. "Is the one about the reporters staged as well? Or are you a fugitive from justice?"

Kamui shook his head in disbelief. "You really don't read the newspapers, Hino-san?"

"I am too busy to read the papers," she answered defensively. "It is all about politics, which is a dirty business." She actually wanted to elaborate more on her father's distorted plans on the Sumida River Festival, but she did not ask a lot of details from Ono-san to defend her point to him.

"You should read more, Hino-san," he answered, smiling and shaking his head. "You obviously don't know that they keep the good news of politics in the inside pages. Your father is even proposing a very good bill in city management."

"He is a brilliant man," she replied. "But it is ironic that he wants to seek better management of the city than his own affairs."

"I actually admire your father's work," Kamui admitted. "Even more than my own father. Your grandfather agrees that you took after him in the skill of administration, especially with how you manage the Shrine."

Rei sighed. "The Shrine is a legacy that I will inherit from my mother's side, especially now that my grandfather's strength is failing. I will not let him down. But I try to do things differently, although..." She paused. "...I think my mother not have wanted it managed any other way."

Kamui laughed. "You really should read the newspaper more, Hino-san!" he said again, much to her irritation of repeating the irony of her ignorance one more time. "You'll know that you don't do things much differently from your father!" He laughed again.

She winced at him. "How is it that you know a lot about my father and want to be like him?"

Kamui thought for a moment as he stared at her, her eyes full of resentment at the man he admired. "There are a lot of things that he did for the country. I studied his works and he's a very keen reformist. That's the part of him that I want to be."

Rei sighed, feeling guilty. "_Anoo_... I guess that's the part of him I don't know much about," she confessed. "All I see is my father, who detached himself from us so that he could be that person who can accomplish all those things for the country. But that is the person you admire the most."

"Do you really hate him that much, Rei-san?" Kamui asked.

She fixed her sad gaze on the oars of the boat. "My mother was already very weak but my father was too busy to tend to her. In the end, she died alone."

She paused to sigh. Kamui was looking straight at her, listening intently. "Maybe it is impossible to be devoted to those two things. My father did so and failed. I don't want to go and have children. I don't want to bring grief to them."

_Deja vu. _She remembered having this conversation on the dinner of her fourteenth birthday, except back then, in front of him was her father's successor and assistant.

_"I too do not wish to have children," Kaidou-san said.  
"We are the same," Rei answered. "Kindred spirits."_

Kamui sighed, but he did not lift his gaze away from her. "I guess that's the part of your father that I don't know much about," he confessed, smiling. "And that's not the part of him I wish to be. I think it is possible to be devoted to the country and have a good life with my family. I surely intend to have children. Lots of them."

She found herself reeling in disappointment, as it broke the illusion of her _deja vu_. Kamui was the very opposite of what she had expected for herself, and everything that she thought she aspired for. He was even bold enough to vocally express his disagreement with her as well.

"You sound very sure of yourself," Rei was at a lack for words and voiced out her thoughts out loud instead.

"Because it is true," Kamui proudly replied. He leaned closer to her and smiled. "I shall prove it to you."

The debate was interrupted by a large boom followed by a series of small explosions. Various colored _hanabi_ filled the sky with scattered beams that glimmered on their faces. The Sumida River Festival had begun.

Kamui leaned back. "This looks like Hino-dono's contribution to the festival," he told her, pointing to the sky.

Rei nodded. "This is where my father had burned his money on," she sotfly answered, still defiant, her eyes still transfixed on the sights in the sky.

"I know," he replied. "I recognize Hino-dono's style. He is more subtle. My father is more extravagant than this."

Rei squinted in surprise. "Your father?"

The sound system boomed amidst all the explosions. It was the emcee's voice generously showering the _hanabi_ exhibition with various kinds of praises. Finally after offering her thanks in behalf of the people, she announced, "We would like to thank our donor, MP Hino Ryoichi for his contribution to this event. And for our next presentation, we would like to present the contribution of our sponsor, MP Asano Junichiro!"

"Asano... Junichiro..." Rei repeated in a whisper as soon as she heard the emcee's announcement of a certain 'Junichiro' that Ono-san spoke with disdain as she rode with her in the car that followed her father's entourage. And now it was again spoken alongside her own father's name, and this time bearing much more gratitude and honor. No wonder Ono-san was furious and her father might as well be.

And now she herself was a victim of a scheme from the same Asano, although she would not admit that to her father and Ono-san, especially when it was this Asano who took her far away in a place she would rather be in.

She saw that Kamui was looking at the sky, tints of red and green specks from the _hanabi_ shone on his face. He was smiling -- smiling because he was right. His father was indeed more extravagant than his own rival. The explosions were more startling and loud because the fireworks were bigger and brighter. There were more elaborate displays of patterns than the previous exhibition that the audience clapped at almost every instance.

Just then, a wave tumbled on the side of the boat causing Rei to lose balance from where she sat. She exclaimed in surprise as she dropped in Kamui's arms with her knees scraping the floor of the boat and her chin lying closely on the lapel of his coat. It took her a moment to realize how to handle the intimate accident since Kamui himself had not done nor said anything.

"_G-gomen!_" she stuttered, lowering her head in case she blushed. She leaned with her hands to get back to her place and her carelessness had allowed her to slip back into that same position with him when another wave hit the side of the boat.

Kamui reached for the radio inside the coat of his pocket clicked on the button that returned the signal. "This is Red Two," he spoke in a normal tone this time. "I have found Hino-dono's daughter. We shall be there in fifteen minutes."

Rei would not admit that she was even the tiniest bit disappointed that what just happened did not affect him, speaking nonchalantly over the radio like that. Not unlike Kishino-kun would. She would rather fix her concentration on the elaborate _hanabi_ making its last few presentations, the grandest of them all, even though these represented the fact that someone had burned more money than her father. It would be a lie not to admit they were not the least bit admirable. She muttered a soft, "_Sugoi..._"

Kamui, on the other hand, was finally successful in calming down his heartbeats to slower palpitations since the brief contact was over. And since he was not able to take charge over that situation (and he normally would've), he turned his gaze on the radio that he tightly clasped in his hand and so satisfied himself with catching a few glimpses. By now he had known that Hino Rei would not appreciate being stared at, even when she looked her best alone with him inspite of the fireworks, so he tried his best not to make her feel conscious and uncomfortable.

_Beep! Beep! "Red Two! Red Two! You said you found Hino-dono's daughter? Please confirm."_

_Kuso!_ Kamui did not appreciate this interruption. He only had fifteen more minutes left. "Yes. I have," he coughed.

_"Usotsuki... _Liar..." Rei whispered, smiling at Kamui's latest attempt to make an excuse. He grinned back.

_"Asano... Kamui-dono?" _The voice on the other end of the line asked after a long pause. _"Is that you?" _

_Click_.

Kamui turned off the signal on the radio and threw it to the Sumida River, as the sounds of firework explosions filled the air, finally silencing the radio forever. Rei was very much relieved. There went the only piece of evidence that would link Kamui to being behind all this commotion of her missing from the event. Ono-san would surely not appreciate being outsmarted by any Asano.

"Ryoichi Hino-dono's daughter is missing? Ahh... _sou ka_... so he has brought her here."

"Please don't worry about her, sir," Ono-san reassured. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Hino-dono's former assistant, who is now an MP himself!" She smiled exaggeratedly. "Won't you like to be seated there on the stage beside him?"

The man who looked too young for someone in his early thirties fixed his glasses and shrugged. "I'm not a guest of honor so I will have to decline. _Gomen nasai_," he apologized. "I overheard Rei Hino was missing so I wanted to offer any assistance in finding her."

Ono-san grimaced. "_Ano..._ she will be very delighted of your utmost concern," she replied sarcastically.

He nodded and smiled. "I surely hope so."

"Do you want to go to the stage and meet her? She will be there shortly in order to join her father."

"I am honored but I shall do that some other time," he humbly declined, shaking his head. "Just tell her an old friend of hers and her father's came by and would love to meet with her soon."

- tsuzuku -

---------------------------------------------  
**chiisai noto:**  
Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. - Check the author's notes for reference.

I'm soooo sorry if this chapter was delayed and it's boring. ;; It's not that I ran out of inspiration... well, real life things such as being out of the job market affected it, but I'm trying to fix up the story real soon. Gomen nasai... ;; This part is the introduction of what's going to happen next in both Rei and Kamui (Jadeite's) lives. If you know the manga, you'll already have a hint on who the last person is. - Of course, this is a Rei-centered fic so that aspect is going to be included. And yes, the part about Jadeite having flashbacks on Rei being attacked by ravens will be included. There will have to be a magical aspect here since they're all still senshi but that will for later. In the meantime, the political conflict between both Asano and Hino families are starting here... I shall try my best to finish the next chapters and elaborate how that will affect their lives.

BTW... LOL! Fixing the grammar errors. hehehe... was too busy to even edit my own story! ;;;;


	8. 06: Arranged Match

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 6 - Arranged Match**

_Nijuhachinichi. Shigatsu. (July 28)_

"What is it now? Women problems again?"

Kamui raised his brow at the question and stared back at whmo he thought was most 'masculine' among his friends -- his long wavy auburn locks bound in a hairnet.

And he was wearing an apron. The kind that with ruffles.

"Why do you ask, Sanjou-_neechan?_" Kamui snorted as he looked at him from head to toe. "I do not come here with those problems."

"_Uso..._Yes, he does!" an eerie, high-pitched voice shouted before Sanjounin could nod. Eine's blonde spiky hair had been peeking from Kamui's shoulder. Eine then slipped past Kamui and into Sanjounin's apartment, his newly chiseled nose lined across with blue dye sniffing around Sanjounin's living room.

Sanjounin preferred to shake his head instead and fixed the bow on his ruffled apron. Eine? He now looked less shocking.

"He followed me," Kamui shrugged to explain.

"I had to!" Eine answered, still sniffing. "I can't contact this friggin' _baka_ to get all the friggin' contacts for the newest gigs in my club!" He went to Kamui and pointed his long, black manicured finger at him. "This _baka _threw his mobile phone at the Sumida!"

"The fish would have had more luck talking to you," Kamui sneered.

"_Bakero... _You must be really scared of this woman that you can't even get laid after two dates," Eine laughed, pointing his finger at Kamui.

"Remind me again to tell those bouncers to throw _you_ to the Sumida next time," Kamui warned, sounding serious. "They tell me this time they would do that for me for free."

Eine gulped. "_Sou... sou..._ Kamui has fallen really bad. I just meant that at least finally a girlfriend can regularly--"

Sanjounin shook his head and sighed, finally getting what those two had been talking about. "You have to do something then, Kamui," he laughed as well. "But really... you haven't scored?"

A stoned look of irritation and twenty seconds of unadulterated silence.

"_Uso..._ Sanjou-kun has done it again? " it was Eine's turn to cough. "You keep on fidgeting those _baka_ things on your apron! Stop it. You're bothering me."

"It's not much of a score than a kiss. But hey... at least I scored better than Kamui," Sanjounin laughed.

"You always score better than Kamui," Eine reiterated.

"She's amazing. I saw her beat up a huge punk for raising his hand at his girlfriend at the club," Sanjounin continued, actually sounding amused than intimidated. "Although it was odd. I knew she wasn't the helpless type but I didn't know she was that strong."

"Something has changed between the two of you! You're actually falling for difficult women!" Eine shouted in disbelief. Pointing to Kamui, "You! You were better off being afraid of commitment where you had no trouble scoring with all kinds of women, especially those older women in your father's club that you won't introduce me to!"

"And you!" This time, pointing to Sanjounin. "You! All those fangirls gone to waste! What is so wrong if girls actually line up and think you're _kakkoii_ playing the guitar? But nooo... you had to go to play the boring _koto_ because it's 'challenging!''"

Kamui breathed deeply, walked towards Eine and gently patted him on the shoulder. "Tomorrow, you shall drown in the Sumida."

"I was actually busy when both of you had walked in," Sanjounin coughed, changing the subject. He rushed towards the kitchen and came out holding a huge white bowl with his hands inside green potholders. "Here," he said, placing the bowl after he cleared the mess on his table. "Try to taste it!"

Kamui examined what look like a muck of tattered meat swimming in murky liquid. "I do not eat the stuff you puked out, Sanjou-kun," he answered, his eyebrows narrowing.

Sweatdrop. Sanjounin slouched, as if a huge rock fell on his head. "It's _yakiniku!" _he proudly answered. "It's one of her favorite dishes... at least the one that's easy to cook. You better help me out by seeing if it's any good."

Kamui squirmed. "You mean taste it?"

"This is very very good..." Eine answered, slurping the now mysteriously empty bowl with its last drip of sauce.

"You can take his word for it, then," There was huge relief in Kamui's voice. "And fix up on the presentation. You are actually planning to cook for her? In this apartment?" His eyes led Sanjounin's to the mess that was apparently... everywhere.

"He definitely is," Eine popped up, burping, and suddenly examining Sanjounin's calloused fingers. "You have been playing the guitar again, haven't you?"

"It's been ages since I last touched it. I've been rusty," Sanjounin answered.

"_Nani?_ That was your best instrument!" Kamui protested.

"She seems to notice it better than my _koto._"

"Yes... I wonder why that is," Eine answered sarcastically, throwing his hand in the air.

Sanjounin coughed. "I thought you were going to throw him to the Sumida?" he asked sternly, pointing to Eine.

Kamui smiled evilly. "Let me make a few calls."

"Ha! Let's see how you'd work your _baka_ ass out when the public finds out that the nation's favorite _baka_ candidate for office owns that huge hard rock club in Roponggi!" Eine snorted, feeling victorious.

"You own that club?" Sanjounin asked Kamui in disbelief.

Kamui shook his head and jeered. "It's not just me. My father owns half the stake of it. When he knew that the new mayor of Chiba was very young and got the younger working voters because he was out surfing, my father thought it would be nice to get the attention of the younger voters as well." He slouched further into Sanjounin's sofa. "It's perfectly legal. The only one who got kicked out of there because of suspicious drugs was you, Eine. And I even had to tell those bouncers to kick you out myself."

"Those were not drugs... I think..." Eine's nostrils flared.

"And you didn't let me have a gig in your club?" Sanjounin asked, tapping his apron.

"It's not my fault. Eine takes care of the bookings," Kamui explained. "You should take on him."

"Let's talk about Kamui's women problems instead," Eine jeeringly looked at Sanjounin.

"Let's!" Sanjounin agreed, a smile of sarcasm appearing at the corners of his mouth as he stroked the frills on his apron.

"What's to talk about?" Kamui shrugged. "I took her to the Sumida and did a little trick."

"What does she think of the little trick?" Eine's dark brows narrowed to jeer. He quickly searched threw Sanjounin's pile of clothes and junk, and actually managed to pull out today's newspaper. Eine pulled the section within and threw it at Kamui, who caught it before flying at his face. "First Page."

Kamui skimmed the newspaper which had the details of the news at the Sumida River. There were pictures of the event all over, even one of his father and Hino-dono opening the stage for the firework launch. He threw a quizzical look at Eine.

"The picture at the bottom," Eine answered, his turn to smile evilly this time.

It didn't take him long to realize which picture Eine was referring to, as he could immediately recognize Rei Hino. That was the time the cameras caught both of them together. His hand was grasping hers and they were running to follow her advice to take a boat on the Sumida just to evade them.

"_Kuso..."_ Kamui cussed, as he skimmed through the caption underneath. "She's going to be furious!"

...

_8:17 a.m._

"_Ja... ojii-san!" _Rei shouted as she hurriedly put on her shoes while clutching all five books in her arms.

"But Rei-chan... you haven't eaten your breakfast yet," her grandfather protested, pointing to the dish he had just prepared.

"I don't have time now, _ojii-san_," she answered, having secured her other shoe. "I will be too late for the test."

She quickly ran towards the shrine steps and tried to recall the math problems she reviewed that night. _I may not remember all that Math unless Ami-chan... 8:20 am? Kami-sama, please don't make me miss the bus. The professors in Waseda are too strange. Kamui... Sumida..._

"Phobos! Deimos!" The two ravens were hovering in front of her, slightly blocking her path.

"_Gomen..._ Have I forgotten your breakfast too?" she sighed, having forgotten most of her duties at the Shrine again. But the two ravens did not leave their place. Below Phobos was what appeared to be today's newspaper which fell quite near the shrine steps.

Rei rushed to its place and quickly glanced at the heavy text, and by picking it up did the ravens stir from where they were. "New election for prime minister soon," she whispered as she read the headlines. Her watch said that it was 8:22. Her guardians were probably not referring to that.

"Thank you," she said, running towards the exit after dropping the newspaper by the sliding door of the house. "I could've tripped on that if you had not shown me."

Deimos let out a loud 'Caw!' but her master would not have heard it as she was quick in rushing down the steps to catch her bus. If Deimos were in human form, she would've shaken her head. When the Princess of Mars was distracted by something ... or someone... she failed in reading the signs.

Ten minutes later, a white Honda passed on the other lane. His eyes escaped seeing her run on the side streets of Sendai Hill to look at the map he was holding. _Hikawa Jinja._ _10 meters. _He ordered his driver to slow down so he could pan through the streets to note where it was.

The stairs of the Shrine were all too familiar to him as it was six years ago. Did she know? She was as beautiful as her father described her -- in the likeness of her own mother. But she was a child then. And back then, he was to be a successor of the DLP. There was no other way but to meet the goals he had set than to make that day the last time to see her.

The car passed the steps. He already knew his way.

"Where do we go?" the driver asked.

"To the florist," he answered, fixing the glasses he wore.

...

_Nijushichinichi. Shigatsu. (July 27) A day earlier._

_I can't believe it. _

_Usagi-chan and the rest are probably going out enjoying this fine weather. Usagi-chan is probably out on a date with Mamo-chan and I am stuck here... sewing seams of props! _

___"_Daijobu, Minako-chan," a familiar voice, that of the sound of the stage manager asked. "Are you okay?"

"_Hai!_ _Daijobu!_" Minako instantly answered, grinning at her boss. "I am almost finished here!"

"Ohh..." said the stage manager, giving her a puzzled look. "I just thought I heard you... whimper. But do finish all that so you can give it to Kenta-san."

_Grumble. Grumble. Why do I have to finish all these hems when I can dance better than those corny girls and end up on a Sunday finishing all these crappy scraps... just so I could finish it for Kenta-san. _

_Kenta-san?_

Minako's fingers immediately searched for the tear in the white 'scrap' she was holding and sewed it up at lightning speed. Without looking. In eight seconds (or probably less), she had sped her way to Kenta-san's room, holding his shirt firmly in her grasp... resisting the natural urge to drool.

"Who is it?"

"_Haiii!_ It's me!" her voice almost screeched. _Must remember to tone down the excitement_. "I have your costume with me."

It was not like Kenta to acknowledge it. All he knew was a staff member had the object he needed to wear so he would get ready in ten minutes. So he opened his door and saw that one person with her mouth agape, holding the one thing he needed. She looked so familiar. Where was it did he meet her? Her cheeks so red from blushing and a smile so goofy. It was her... the girl who bravely risked the odds in saving her cat. He saved her. And he wasn't wearing his shirt on.

_Doki-doki...Heart beating.. ._ Minako squirmed. Controlling nosebleed.

"_Anooo..._ is that for me?" Kenta asked... shyly actually. That broke her trance.

"_Aa...Hai_," Minako affirmed, still clutching on to his costume while he was trying to pull it away from her.

"I need to take this one..." Kenta tugged at his costume.

"_Aa...Hai..."_

"_Domo_..."Kenta smiled ever so cutely at the last tug, finally taking the shirt from her hands.

"_Oi_, Aino-san! What are you looking at?"

That voice was Yoshiko's, the stage lighting manager. He tiptoed to see what fascinated her as she stared blankly at the closed door, since he was about an inch shorter than Minako even though he was a year older than she was.

"_Ara..._" Minako softly spoke as she realized. She then did a sidestep to her right, pretending to laugh at her funny situation. "I didn't realize you can connect the dots on that door and actually form something..."

"_Honto?" _Yoshiko gullibly asked, looking at the same door she was looking. "I don't see anything."

Minako pretended to cough. "Yoshiko-kun... don't they need you to fix a bulb or something?"

"But there are really no dots..."

Huge teardrop on top of Minako-chan's head.

"Minako-chaaan!" her friend Aya loudly called her name, running to her excitedly. "How did your sessions with the _omiai_ go?"

_(sidebar: an omiai is like an arranged form of meeting where a go-between or matchmaker called a nakodo will arrange a meeting between a guy and a girl. They will then see if they are compatible with each other and be well-suited for marriage. This has become quite acceptable in Japan.)_

"_Sou ka, _Aino-san! You actually are going to the _omiai?_!" Yoshiko-kun exclaimed, butting in their conversation.

"_Anoo..._" Minako began, quite hesitant to answer.

_Curry beef... curry rice... curry stew..._

"_Neeee..._ Minako-chan..." Aya persisted, as Yoshiko continued to follow them. "What happened?"

_Curry chicken... curry sauce... curry..._

"Y-You had a nice time with your date, didn't you, Aino-san?" Yoshiko gulped.

Minako sighed and bowed her head low. "All he did was talk about curry," she complained, her left eye twitching with irritation.

"Curry?"

"You know that there are many types of curry?" Minako asked, pretending to prevent herself from gagging.

"Why did the _nakodo_ set you up with a guy obsessed with curry?"

"Because I told him that I love to go and eat," Minako sighed again. "Next time I will specify which type of food I like."

"You don't have to go to a _nakodo_, Aino-san!" Yoshiko told her, raising his left arm as if proclaiming a rallying statement. "Girls who are as cute as you shouldn't have a problem!"

"Is he serious?" Minako whispered to Aya, now having walked further away from Yoshiko and his own style of crazy. "Anyway, the _nakodo_ has promised to set up another date."

"I hope this works out well this time," Aya answered, giggling.

"I saw a photo and a letter, he should be --"

"--Aino-san?" it was the stage manager, holding up the shirt Minako had sewn earlier. His voice was gruff and irate, that his mere presence stunned the peaceful costume designer and scared Aya away. "Is this what you mean by repairs?" he asked angrily, his glasses steaming with seethed rage. "It has gotten worse!" He pointed to the loose buttons on the shirt.

"We can't have Maeda-san going around on stage naked!" the stage manager exclaimed in an exaggerated gay voice.

_Naked Kenta-san? That sounds nice... if only--_

"--Are you listening, Aino-san?"

"_Haii..._" she answered meekly.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go fix this up and give it to Maeda-san as soon as possible!"

"_Hai!"_ she answered enthusiastically, and quickly grabbed the shirt off his hands. "I'll see you later, Aya-chaan!" she then greeted in a sweeter melody, almost skipping happily to her little room with the rusty sewing machine.

The work was so easy that she was knocking at Kenta-san's door in five minutes. (Okay, maybe ten... but this was how adrenaline worked for Minako-chan.)

"Please come in... _Doozo..._"

"_Haii...Arigatou, _Kenta-san!" Minako greeted as she entered, bowing just in time before he could see any embarassing nosebleed. He was without his shirt on again.

"Minako-san... _arigatou!"_ Kenta greeted appreciatively, and this time took the shirt from her without much 'resistance.' There were bell cuffs on the wrists reminiscent of _takarazaku _women's theater or in those cheesy vampire movies. But the shirt fit him like a glove and only he could be handsome in something that made him look like a ... petunia.

_Hi... Kenta-san! Do you remember the day you saved me and Artemis-chan? What are your hobbies like? Would you like to go to the beach sometime? Do you really like to drink Kin? _

"I-I'll be going now," Minako said, stuttering, and now began to absent-mindedly walk towards the door, in which path Kenta-san's shoebox fell after she unknowingly and clumsily pushed it to that space a while earlier. So even for an agile volleyball champion like her, being starstruck at this moment would of course make her miss a sidestep, and so she tripped on her back and her head was on her way to be knocked on the doorknob until...

Kenta-san rushed in time to catch her, like the gentleman that he was... and with his shirt still half-unopened. How the background music must've played _Route Venus_ during that opportune time (in Minako's mind, of course), and white petals must've showered on that particular moment that he had caught her again.

And he will say, "How many times must I save you, Minako-san?"

_As many times as you like, Kenta-chan..._

But...

"_Anooo... _I have to throw that box away or else people will trip on it like you did," Kenta told her instead, helping her to her feet.

She coughed and bowed low, since she felt her cheeks burning. "_Domo_..." she thanked him, now looking down on her path to the door.

"Minako-san?"

_"Hai!"_ she readily answered.

Kenta gave her a stern smile and buttoned the rest of his shirt. "Walk slowly."

Minako closed the door behind her, and grinned. The _nakodo_ would not have one such as Kenta in his list of matches. It's not as if Kenta needed to be matched with anyone, anyway. But there would be someone close to him. _Someone who would know the real me. _

And from there, she walked back to her room. And walked slowly.

_Nijuhachinichi. Shigatsu. (July 28) 3:15 pm_

There was actually a time that day that Hino Rei thought about ... the Sumida. One of her professors had approached 'Hino-dono's daughter' after the test and asked that his congratulations be relayed to her father -- the soon-to-be Prime Minister. The events at the Sumida were received with great approval.

"Were you there, Hino-san?" the professor asked.

_Hai..._

It was a good thing he did not ask where she was. She had promised not to reveal. Why was that _baka_ so crazy anyway? Did he get reprimanded for what he did?

And what the hell was he doing in her thoughts?

_Kami-sama..._ she prayed, walking up the stairs of Hikawa Jinja. _How I wish I would be reminded of the trap I fell into so I would realize it all again..._

And then she reached the top of the stairs and saw it. On the same place, by the door, lay a bouquet of white casablance lillies wrapped in semi-transparent paper.

_Masaka..._ she whispered, breathing deeply to calm her heart from beating so fast. That seemed like Kami-sama's answer and it was so soon. But she was also aware that it didn't seem like what she asked for was what she actually wanted.

Because it was hard to conceal all this excitement for one silly little sight.

_"Sumimasen..._ where are you going?"

Kamui halted in surprise, and looked up. Thanks to the DLP functions he attended, he shook his hand with the likes of him before. Kamui knew all about him. He did not defect to the SCP Party where his mentor was now, but still he acted like Hino-dono's faithful vassal. The sense of disloyalty within the political system was something Kamui found dishonorable and he took a strange mistrust for Kaidou-dono, even though his own father was very fond of him.

Kaidou-dono also stood there, looking like the typical honest politician with the commercially kind handsome look and glasses, wearing a nicely ironed suit, and Kamui did not like it. Also, the fact that he was standing above him, midway on the stairs of Hikawa JInja... that, Kamui of course, didn't like the most.

"_Konnichiwa, _Kaidou-dono!" Kamui greeted happily, giving Kaidou the sincere grin that his father himself taught him. "What are you doing at 3:15 in the afternoon when most taxpayers think you should be in Parliament session?" Kamui grinned again.

"You are still the same, Asano-san," Kaidou answered, smiling. "I should ask you what your business here is."

"This is a _Shrine_, Kaidou-dono," Kamui answered, not giving up his grin.

"There is one a few meters from your office in case you want to know where it is most convenient to pray. I suppose you know who lives up there in this same Hikawa Jinja?"

Kamui looked up beyond Kaidou-dono's shoulders, stared for a few moments on the zenith. And grinned... almost sheepishly this time for Kaidou to see.

Kaidou winced. Taking a step down from the stairs, he bowed his head to exhale and finally said, "You cannot be here, Asano-san." He pushed the axle of the glasses he wore with his middle finger. "I came here specifically to deliver an invitation for Hino Rei-san tonight, as requested by her father."

He then showed Kamui the envelope that contained the characters, "Honohouchi."

"The son of the Nationalist deputy leader..." Kamui whispered.

"They are expected to be acquainted tonight," Kaidou told him. "They were actually supposed to meet at the Sumida Festival... but she was detained by some unfortunate event." Kaidou looked at him sharply.

He then reached into his right pocket and pulled out a small mobile phone, its screen wiped out and faded by visible watermarks. "I believe this belongs to you," Kaidou told him sternly, handing him the piece of equipment.

It was a smile he had learned to use to conceal his astonishment. Although he was not surprised at this rare find that the SCP had their own ways, he did not realize that Kaidou's diligence would reach up to this extent -- that Hino-dono was indeed very serious on the SCP party that he would arrange nothing but the Nationalist Party leader's alliance for his own daughter.

"Like I said, Asano Kamui... you cannot be here."

Kaidou's statement was issued as a stern command. And he still stood above Kamui by just a few steps. He loudly cleared his throat and climbed a step. "Tell me, Kaidou-dono," he asked, glaring. "Have you diligently researched the motives of MP Honohouchi-dono himself?

"My only concern is Hino Ryoichi-dono," Kaidou answered, remaining impassive.

"Then you are not a very good spy," he said, wearing his father's charismatic grin once again. Kamui casually put his hands in his pockets and moved his eyes towards the top of the Shrine steps, and began climbing towards it.

Kaidou exhaled, slightly irritated. He climbed down towards him until he was at the same level step with Kamui, and held firmly on Kamui's shoulder. "You do not think that she would accept the invitation if she did not know about Honohouchi-dono, didn't you?"

_She knew about this? _Kamui froze.

"Hino Rei-san has been told of this arrangement two months ago and has been considering it," Kaidou told him. "It would be wise to be like your father to go back and... rethink your options."

It was this same scene last April, during her birthday, that it was Kamui who blocked off everyone's way towards Hikawa Jinja. Now he knew what it was like to be on the other end, so he let Kaidou-dono go up the Shrine steps alone.

Of course, Rei Hino would not run but she would walk briskly towards the door to get the present beside it.

_"You sound very sure of yourself."  
"Because it is true," Kamui proudly replied. He leaned closer to her and smiled. "I shall prove it to you." _

"_Usotsuki_... Liar..." she smiled, picking up the bouquet of casablanca lillies by the door. "What did you do this time?"

It was then that Phobos and Deimos cawed, telling her that someone had arrived. Rei quickly stood up, the bouquet of casablanca lillies in her arms, and turned towards the shrine steps.

"Hino-san... I hope you like my gift, though it is small. "

It was not the liar's voice. "Kaidou-san..." she whispered, slightly reeling from surprise. Kaidou-san had not changed at all. His hair, his suit, even the way he stood when he visited for the last time six years ago. The same scene, as though it froze and came back again, was Kami-sama's answer -- exactly what she wished for.

"These casablanca lillies... they are still your favorite flowers?" he asked, smiling happily at her.

"_Hai..._ _domo arigatou..." _she answered. Her smile was weak.

Kaidou smiled, looking as cool and ever so 'cutely' dignified as he always has been. "My memory is still very good. I remember it so well how we walked past the shop and you were so awed,looking at those flowers, you had to lean hard on the glass," he fondly recalled.

"I think you were only about twelve back then," he smiled and sighed. "That was a long time. _O hisashiburi ne...?"_

Rei slowly nodded. "_Hai...O-hisashiburi..._" she replied, trying to focus her gaze on the casablanca lillies instead. "What kind of business has brought you here to Hikawa Jinja?"

Kaidou was surprised at her blunt question. Hino-dono's daughter had matured and become even more beautiful than the child he remembered six years ago, but that part of her had not changed. "I have come to visit you," he answered. "And your _ojii-san_."

She nodded, feeling a little uneasy. How was it that she was able to converse for a long time with him before when he was still her father's assistant? Even to confide in him her feelings about her own father? For awhile she was already thinking what topics for small talk she might ask. How was his family? His job? His wife? But those just did not sound appropriate, at least at that time.

"I am also here to deliver an invitation," he coughed, trying to break the ice. "There is a small banquet--"

"--Later tonight?"

It was only after hearing that voice that Phobos and Deimos shrieked, and she had to motion for both of them to calm. She actually found it unfair that those two guardians of hers would be hostile towards him and not towards Kaidou. But even Rei shared the same reaction because her heart suddenly leapt when she too heard Kamui's voice, who had reached the zenith of the Shrine steps wearing a rather sheepish grin.

"Asano-san," Kaidou politely greeted, masking his irritation.

"You know each other?" Rei asked in surprise.

"_Aaa..._ Kaidou-dono is with the DLP Party as my father," Kamui answered casually as he walked towards them. "I have known him when your father, Rei-san, was still in the DLP." He had meant that last sentence for Kaidou.

Kaidou coughed and ignoring Kamui's presence, he continued "For this reason, Hino-san, I would like to invite you--"

"There is a banquet tonight, Rei-san," Kamui interrupted, walking past Kaidou and towards her, purposely blocking his view. "People from the Nationalist Party is inviting all the representatives to a friendly dinner." He sighed, slightly distracted by the bouquet of casablanca lillies in her arms... the ones that did not come from him.

"I know you do not like politics, Rei-san," Kamui continued. "But trust me, they do not talk about politics at all in these dinners. It is a means of trying to get to know the people who you would want to have business with. So this is nothing but a simple dinner. And for that, I would like you to go with me on this banquet."

"How can that be? There are only limited invitations for this banquet! And you are not even a member of the SCP," Kaidou contested, moving by Kamui's side since he was unable to move him away from his view.

"You forget, you are still a member of the DLP and are invited to the banquet," Kamui grinned. "It was no problem for my father to secure invitations with Honohouchi-dono."

"I know who Honohouchi-dono invited to this banquet. Asano-dono has previously declined. How could you have secured invitations to this so soon?"

"It was all because of your help, Kaidou-dono," Kamui could not help but smirk, feeling victorious at this point. "I followed your advice to do as my father did, so when you blocked my way going here, I retreated and regrouped."

"_Matte..._he blocked your way?" Rei asked, totally confused from the start of their conversation filled with political acronyms.

"My father previously did not wish to go to this banquet, but I have convinced him that the SCP is seeking an alliance with the Nationalist Party, and that it would be important for him to see how the DLP interest can fit in." Kamui then pulled from his pocket and presented to Kaidou his washed-out mobile phone from the Sumida. "And I did that so soon by calling my father from this."

"_Masaka..._"

"Yes, I couldn't believe it myself," Kamui continued, pompously shrugging his shoulders. "This is really a very good phone! And of all people, it was who Eine taught me where to buy this in Akihabara...which was expensive. But I did not know it was waterproof!"

"..."

"(What phone is that?)" Kaidou asked in a low voice.

"_Anooo... minna-san!"_ Rei interrupted. Gigantic sweatdrop.

"_Eeto..._" Kaidou coughed, regaining his composure and turned to Rei. "Your father requests that you be present at this banquet. There is someone he would like you to meet. So please--"

"--Do you not prefer for Rei-san to answer, Kaidou-dono?" Kamui interrupted again, seeing that this works much to Kaidou's irritation. "It should be her choice who to go with to the banquet."

"Her father has already arranged for--"

"--Hino-dono would still see Rei-san present, no matter how she goes to this banquet. So I suggest that she would be the one to decide."

Kaidou shook his head in defeat. "Hino-san," he finally consented. "Please decide on how do you want to go to this banquet."

_Heh._ Rei was confused enough to be irritated not to be asked if she had wanted to go in the first place. A banquet full of politicians was only her father's haven so she was not interested in seeing who her father wished for her to meet. But Kamui assured her that there would be no talk of politics in that banquet. So what if...

"You must know one thing before you decide, Hino-san," Kaidou warned and instantly presented to her a copy of today's newspaper.

"(How do you do pull things out of nowhere like that?") Kamui wondered about Kaidou's additional skill. He did not intend to tear the paper away from Rei-san himself. There was nothing to hide, but he was actually bracing herself for her reaction. Tightly bracing himself. The ravens still stood with their angry eyes atop the _torii_ posts.

"Girlfriend...?"

Rei had read the caption underneath the picture of them running towards the Sumida, out loud. _How did they get this picture?_ she wondered. She remembered being pulled by Kamui's strong grip that she had to run fast enough to catch up with him. She lowered the newspaper down just a little, feeling her cheeks burning and threw him a quizzical look.

"_Gomen, _Rei-san," Kamui calmly apologized, seeing that she was red with 'anger.' "Those reporters are always--"

"You were asking for my decision, Kaidou-san?" It was Rei's turn to interrupt. "Please tell my father that I would be at that banquet."

Kaidou breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "_Domo_--"

"--Kamui-san will be responsible enough to take me there on time."

"But--"

"That's the least he could do for what he did to my father's reputation at the Sumida," she firmly explained. Rei held on to the bouquet of casablanca lillies in her arms and bowed, pre-empting Kaidou's attempt to speak.

"_Domo arigatou, _Kaidou-san," she said. "You are right... They are still my favorite."

And that was the only consolation he had received and he could see that Asano-dono held his ground with his mouth agape in disbelief, and triumph in his eyes.

"Please think nothing of it," Kaidou spoke politely as he bowed, and then quickly made his way towards the Shrine steps with the invitation still in his hands. Asano Kamui had not yet won.

The day had not yet ended.

_  
It was still __Nijuhachinichi. Shigatsu. (July 28) 5:15 pm_

And the afternoon had barely faded. Rei had spent the last two hours lying on her futon and looking at the ceiling to rest.

And to think.

_Girlfriend?_

"Rei-chan!" her ojii-san calls through the screen door. "You better go out and entertain your guest. He has been sitting there for about an hour, maybe more! It's a miracle your ravens haven't eaten him yet."

_Eh?_ So she runs outside and finds Phobos and Deimos perched atop the _torii_ posts, well-behaved and quiet.

"They are looking at me with those blood-red eyes again." Kamui is seated at the rightmost edge of the raised floor, holding the page from the newspaper that Kaidou had brought as evidence.

Sweatdrop. She raised an eyebrow.

"I can tell," he assures her. "Watch this." He raised himself with both hands on the ledge for support and rose to his feet. He then started walking towards her. Phobos rustled her wings and shrieked, instantly prompting Deimos to do the same. He made a quick glance at them and halted.

"That is the reason you have been sitting there for hours?" she asked, now fully convinced of his strange fear.

His drowned phone faintly beeped before he could answer. "This is a really awesome phone," he proudly repeated, flipping the handset and placing it at his ear. "_Hai...Asano Kamui..._"

She had to motion Phobos and Deimos to calm down for she thought that they had heard his voice again. Kamui had surprisingly finished his call in a mere two minutes, and the ravens were motioning to the new visitor at the shrine steps. Nishida, dressed as the perfect sidekick in a blue suit and light shades for the afternoon, was carrying a perfectly ironed suit on its hanger.

"This is great, Nishida!" Kamui exclaimed, as soon as Nishida handed him his suit. "You are just right on time!"

"You asked him to bring your suit here?" she had to ask ... to give him the benefit of the doubt as to his strange actions, of course.

"I know it is highly irregular, Hino-san," Nishida answered. "As his father's bodyguard, my aikido skills are proven to be necessary for chores like these."

"We just have to be prepared early," Kamui explained, glancing at his watch. "The banquet starts at exactly seven."

"_D-demo..._ it is only 5:15, Kamui-san," Rei reminded, confused.

"I have to be here before Kaidou-dono arrives and tries something to stop you from keeping your word to go to the banquet with _me_ instead." Kamui glanced at his watch again.

"_Sou ka! _Kaidou-dono was here?" Nishida gasped.

"_Hai..._ he was, to present an invitation from Honohouchi-dono and his son." Upon seeing her wince, Kamui then turned to Rei and said, "It's not that I don't trust you, Rei-san. I simply have to make sure about Kaidou-dono."

_Honohouchi-dono?_ The name had sounded familiar as though Kagura-san had once mentioned it. But there were other pressing matters such as the banquet Kaidou-san and Kamui wanted her to attend. It was apparent that those two had a mutual dislike for each other and she was curious as to why that was. "_Demo_ Kamui-san, I already told Kaidou-san that I will go with you," she assured.

"One thing you have to learn, Rei-san, in business and in politics, we have learned to use time to our advantage," Kamui stated proudly, clutching his favorite phone close to his chest. "So trust me, I will have to make sure about Kaidou-dono."

He then moved forward and gently pushed her towards the door. "As a guest of this house, I know I have the first honor of using the bathroom, but women always take more time than men to prepare so may I suggest that you go ahead and get yourself ready? Nishida will get the car ready for us in exactly forty-five minutes."

She looked down to avoid his gaze as he still continued to push her towards the door. He was so fond of pushing people and commanding them what to do, just like that incident in the Sumida. "_Daijobu!" _That was her form of protest, feeling rather uncomfortable. "Very well, I shall get ready." She then turned to push the sliding screen door.

"Rei-san!"

Kamui raised the page from the newspaper he was holding. "About the caption in this newspaper where they said you were my girlfriend..." his voice trailed. "I hope that didn't anger you."

"No, it didn't," Rei answered, shaking her head, giving him a faint smile for reassurance. "After all, it was just --"

"--A mistake."

She looked at him for a moment and nodded. She didn't realize it would come from his open lips, but as long as he agreed that it was, it was enough. So she loudly shut the sliding door from behind her.

It was only then that Kamui turned to Nishida. "You know I threw this phone in the Sumida yesterday and Kaidou-dono was the one who even returned it to me!" Kamui laughed as he spoke. "I was able to make two calls: one to my father and one to Honohouchi-dono's secretary to overturn my father's denial of his invitation. My last call was calling you to make the final arrangements in escorting us to the banquet.

"And after that, the batteries died."

Nishida's poker-face expression remained through his light-colored shades. "You are telling me that the gods are on your side."

Kamui grinned devilishly and shook his head, too overcome with his technological miracle. "This is a great phone."

_  
Later still, when it was __Nijuhachinichi. Shigatsu. (July 28) 7:15 pm_

It was as Kamui-san had predicted. Kaidou-dono and Kagura-san were waiting in the lobby to whisk Hino Rei away at the earliest opportunity. Kagura-san was not polite enough to thank Rei's dutiful 'escort' since it was obvious that it was Kaidou's role to take care of him. Rei could only look back to see that Kaidou-dono and Kamui-san engaged in polite small talk after that (since this was no place to argue). And _he_ did not even look nor protest when Kagura-san took her away.

_"After this, Rei-san," _Kamui had told her inside the car, _"I will have to leave you on your own. You must decide for yourself if you are willing to survive in this kind of world."_

'This kind of world' meant her father's political world, which she had not cared about ever since she came to Hikawa Jinja. Kamui was very insistent that what she would see in this banquet would only be a glimpse of what her father's world was like. There would be no talk of politics at all. In all places he had been to, it was only in Japan that one must never open up the topic of business in social gatherings. This was the time and place where the people gathered to get to know each other because in the end, everything else was based on trust and loyalty -- just as in the bushido context of _makoto_, faithfulness.

She saw her father holding a goblet of cocktails in his right hand and in the midst of talking with some of the visitors in the banquet. His eyes lighted when he saw Kagura-san bringing his daughter with her. And after bowing to him, he told her that at last, she would be able to meet Honohouchi-dono.

_"Honohouchi-dono? Why will my father want me to meet him?" _Rei had asked while still inside Kamui's car.

"_He is the leader of the Nationalist Party. His role in Parliament is extremely important as the Nationalist Party has 14 seats. There are two parties fighting for the seat of Prime Minister. Whoever they support will help garner more votes."_

And Kamui had said nothing more since he had went on and on at the current situation of the political parties are in Parliament. It was obvious he was extremely careful in simplifying his words for her to understand, even though her question was not answered directly. She did not have the heart to stop his zeal for talking on what seemed to be the topic he liked the most.

Kagura-san and her father were finally able to reach the place where Honohouchi and all of his party members were taking their cocktails. Her father heartily introduced her to the shortest man among them, his hair almost completely bald and eyebags as large as teacups... much like the traditional dirty old man in _manga_. Honohouchi-dono, Kamui told her, should not be judged from his appearance since he was really a jovial, cheerful kind of man who was very sincere in creating bills for the preservation of Japan's treasured historical sites.

_"You should watch out for his son, Shigure. On the good side, he has quite the penchant for building successful businesses, but he has the reputation of being a player. I have met him a couple of times. He does seem like the smart talker and his looks could be well above average."_

When Honohouchi-dono introduced the man taller than him as his son Shigure, Rei could not see that part at all. Kaidou-san was downright more dignified and handsome, and he was only two years older than Shigure. (Kagura-san had whispered Shigure Honohouchi's age to Rei, since Rei could only guess how that was relevant. Maybe it was because she could see Kagura squirming at the sight of Shigure. Shigure did seem to have that rebellious impression, purposely letting his hair grow in layers till his chin. And he had the round eyes that totally broke the semblance from his father, as if he had foreign blood in him.)

Shigure-san had asked permission from the group after being introduced, and then permission from Rei for a short walk around the mansion. Hino-dono had of course agreed, and so Shigure-san took her hand and led her to a nice corridor laden with images of newspaper clippings and events that had transpired in the glory days of the Nationalist Party.

"I'm not as much a fan of politics as my father," Shigure told her, scanning the line of pictures. "But I have to admire him for the dedication in his work."

"Yes, I hear he is very much involved in the restoration of our historical sites," Rei told him. "This must be his him in his project in Kamakura?" She pointed to a certain picture that hung.

"_Hai..._" Shigure smiled appreciatively. "Not everybody knows much about my father's work as he is not as in the limelight as Asano-dono and your father. I did hear you are involved in a historical project yourself, Hino-san?"

"Not really. I am helping my _ojii-san_ in managing Hikawa Jinja."

"You are managing Hikawa Jinja? I thought you were taking up Philosophy in Waseda?"

"_Haii..._ and balancing my studies with my duties as _miko_."

"_Sou desu ka..."_ Shigure-san sounded a little disappointed. Lack of topics, Rei had supposed. It was a good thing that the hall was full of history for him to engage in more small talk until Shigure-san had to excuse himself to meet more of his father's associates.

And thus was Kagura-san not in sight so she took the opportunity to find any of the faces she knew. There were too many people in the mansion that it was comfort in finally finding Kaidou-san standing alone near the dining hall, watching the guests who chose to mingle instead. He smiled at her as she approached.

"Were you able to meet her in a gathering such as this?" she asked, trying to sound innocent.

"Who is this person you're talking about?"

"Your wife."

Kaidou-san's smile faded. She would learn it eventually enough. "Don't worry and think this is a typical arrangement between families, Rei-san. No one is that strict as in the middle ages anymore."

"So it is only the meeting that was arranged?" she asked sarcastically.

"People have accepted paying the _omi-ai_ to find them a match with their complete compatibility. You can choose to be open-minded about this and find that you have a lot in common with Shigure-san to consider him worthy enough.

"And of course," Kaidou-san continued. "Be open enough to consider what your father thinks about this matter that concerns your future."

Kaidou-san spoke with a different point of view that sounded valid in response to her less-witty sarcasm. She smiled weakly at him and left, seeing a glimpse of Nishida standing amidst the crowd. Her attention diverted, she did not hear Kaidou-san call her name as she walked away.

"Where is _he_?" Rei asked, tugging at Nishida's arm.

She found him at the balcony puffing circles of smoke, holding his half-consumed cigarette. As soon as he heard her come in, he squeezed the stick into the pavement and threw it off the balcony. Kamui-san was looking sharp that day. And she thought that she would not be surprised when she opened the sliding door to see him walking back and forth behind her door back in Hikawa Jinja, dressed in his suit in just a few minutes, without any fuss at all. There was no time to offer compliments however much her heart would go _dokun-dokun_ since he was telling her about the banquet, as if giving her the overview on some political meeting.

He stood on that balcony, smiling, as if nothing remarkable was happening when he already knew that his idol, Hino-dono, was arranging for a match between his daughter and the son of the leader of the Nationalist Party. And since he was so keen in giving her away and helping her prepare to meet with Honohouchi-san, she would think that all the visits at Hikawa Jinja at the event at the Sumida were for nothing. How can any normal person _not_ give up on someone like her when she was making it so difficult?

"How was your meeting with Honohouchi-dono?" he asked, smiling with such good nature that it only made her seethe.

"It turned out well," she answered proudly, raising her chin. "If he wanted to see if I am good enough to marry, he should have just asked me."

Kamui laughed. "A man does not usually bring up 'marriage' on the first meeting!"

"_Sou ne..._ you have been in this kind of gatherings before?" There was a sharp tone of sarcasm in that statement, which Kamui didn't care to notice.

"Yes, lots of times," he answered. "My father can be quite crazy. He has probably promised me in marriage to lots of his friends for keeping all his alliances!" He laughed. "Of course I was not interested in any of them... except for one."

"I do not like it at all. It just shows that my father never trusted in my choices," she said, scowling and clenching her fist. "How can he think Shigure-san and I are compatible? If you were in Shigure-san's place, would you even marry me?" She pounded her fist on the railings.

"_Hai!"_ Kamui readily answered in such an unusually perky tone.

"_A-ano... _I meant that since you have met me only for the first time..."

"If I were in Shigure-san's place, I would marry you."

"_Demoooo..._ " she protested, shaking her head in irritation. "How can you be so rash in making decisions when you have only met me--"

"How difficult can you be that nobody would want to marry you?" he interrupted as was his habit since he was impatient in repeating such truthful answers.

"And I thought I would get a more objective answer from you than Kaidou-san," she snapped, flipping her hair.

The corners of his mouth formed into a smirk upon hearing that name. "Shigure-san has been presented with an opportunity reserved only for him and nobody else. Is he _baka_ enough not to consider it?"

There was no good answer to that, so she rolled her eyes in stubborn disagreement.

"And Kaidou-san?" he reiterated, his amused expression fading again. "Where was he when your father had arranged for you to be in this gathering? Does he know the kind of people you will meet here?" He winced, searching his suit for his box of cigarettes.

"I am not interested in meeting the people in this place," she said in an irritated tone. "I wish to stay out here than be inside with the people in that banquet."

"It is not good to be narrow-minded, Rei-san," he told her frankly, putting a cigarette stick in his mouth. "The people in there are involved in making the future of this country. You have to try and be open to everything."

"My world is as complicated enough as it is if I can only tell you..." she sighed. _I wish I can tell you. _"I have spent most of my life attending school and protecting my friends and those that they love. It is one challenge I have never regretted but it will forever affect me."

"Generally then, we are the same. We both try to save the world but in different ways." He smiled at what he thought was his most senseless and corniest answer, mindlessly staring at the empty sky and inhaling from his unlighted cigarette.

Rei couldn't help but beam at his bizaare action, that though he thought himself devoid of wit, she could only think... _Kakkoii_. But she would not say those thoughts out loud for he was impulsive and unscientific ... and a politician. (Yes, that still should count, if only to consider his many faults.) Who would ever think that you would marry someone you met only once?

But for someone who she disagreed with, this was the longest decent conversation she had. She searched her thoughts for other topics to ask him, but because everything had great sense of timing, Kagura-san was right by the balcony door waving at her and motioning for her to get inside.

"Maybe you should go back in then, Rei-san," Kamui suggested before Rei could even speak to refuse. He then turned towards the railing to dodge her gaze and went back to his view.

"_Haii...Gomen nasai_..." Rei sadly apologized, taking his insinuation that he wished for her to go. Or be left alone. She walked slowly towards Kagura-san, taking her time in delaying going back inside the party to where her father dined with his fellow SCP Party members. And then she looked back one last time but Kamui's back was still turned to her. Never mind, then. If Kamui wished her to leave, she had no qualms in doing just that.

"All this trouble and you just let her go?" Nishida now stood by his side and raised his lighter to Kamui's unlighted cigarette.

"She didn't know that her father was planning an arrangement with Honohouchi-dono," Kamui answered with his head bowed. "I felt that I had to inform her on these things so that she would not go unprepared."

Nishida chuckled. "This just isn't like you, Kamui-dono..." he said, resisting the urge to laugh.

"You are right, I did this to have a little test," Kamui confessed. "I wanted to see if she can survive in my world."

Nishida turned to look at the party inside. Through the glass windows, he could see Kagura-san presenting Rei-san to her father and renowned figures of both the SCP and Nationalist Parties. She bowed to them and smiled. One gentleman then presented her with a bouquet of red roses. "She seems to be doing quite well," Nishida said, informing his boss. "Everyone in there seems to be very fascinated with her."

Kamui shook his head. "She failed miserably," he answered. "She does not like politics..." He paused to exhale a large amount of smoke from his nostrils. "... Or anything that I stand for."

"And after all this trouble, what are you going to do?"

Kamui stared at the view from the balcony and chose to fill his thoughts with cigarette smoke instead.

"You are going to do nothing?" Nishida raised his shades to show his eyes widenening in disbelief. "_Baka..._ you have failed, yourself."

Kamui coughed, inhaling some of the smoke from snickering at his valet's brutal honesty.

But Nishida was not yet finished. He gave him a solid pat on his shoulder and shook his head as he walked back to join the elder and more sensible Asano who was inside the party. "You and she belong to each other," retorted Nishida.

"You are both losers."

- tsuzuku -  
(this means, don't worry. there's a next chapter. .)

---------------------------------------------  
**chiisai noto:**  
Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. - Check the author's notes for reference. I have read a book on how the Japanese do business and learned the things I placed here, especially since Kamui wants to teach Rei how to survive in his world. Sorry for the delay in the updates. I have been busy... and sleepy. I'm actually feeling quite numb this time, but I really want to finish this. Pray that I get more inspiration.


	9. 07: Date

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 8**

**Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : Chapter 7 - "Date" **  
_Ninichi. Hachigatsu. (August 2) _

Kamui tightened the knot of his tie and coughed as he stood on the last level of stairs leading to Hikawa Jinja. Nishida raised an eyebrow so that the boss's son would know his impatient disposition from the dark shades that covered his eyes.

"Why are your hands shaking?" Nishida asked jeeringly, handing him a full bouqet of pink roses. "It's not like you haven't done this before."

"These flowers are unlike her," Kamui ignored the comment and prevented his hand from shivering as he took the bouquet from Nishida. "Casablanca lillies are the ones that suit her."

Nishida shrugged. "She'll probably appreciate that then. That's what all women like."

"She is different."

Nishida's answer was a wide grin, amused on his role that day as cheerleader. Despite all the daring and patient attempts the past few days, the younger Asano, for the first time, didn't know what to do.

It all started last July 30. Sanjunichi. Shigatsu.

"So it has been arranged," Nishida told the company of three in the living room, where Kamui had invited Sanjou-kun and Kenta-kun.

"What has been arranged?" Kamui answered indifferently, flipping the pages of the newspaper that stated the impending replacement of the Prime Minister.

"Hino-san has agreed to go out with you on Saturday," Nishida answered, matching Kamui's tone.

Kamui said nothing, indifferently turning the next page of his paper without saying a word.

Nishida raised an eyebrow at the reaction, to which Sanjou-kun concurred by throwing the pillow on the sofa, accurately hitting Kamui's head with the force of his musician's arm.

"Baka..." Kenta retorted.

"I know, Kenta-kun... you saw that little split-second jump he made after Nishida spoke, didn't you?" Sanjounin frankly pointed out.

Kenta nodded, adding a sophisticated snort. In his mind, he had said much more than that by adding the word, 'hypocrite.'

"I never stood up a woman before, Kamui-kun," Sanjounin told him.

"Not especially the pretty ones, you don't," Kenta added, smiling a little.

Sanjounin shrugged and smirked, amused at the silence of his bewildered friend. "I have changed, you know, Kenta-kun..." he cheered in his defense. "There is more fun in getting to know her inner thoughts and understanding where she's good at. Say, Hino-san here... she's beautiful... rich... sophisticated..."

Sound of a page of the newspaper flipping.

"Help me out here, Kamui-kun!" Sanjounin begged, throwing another pillow at him. "You're crazy not to know anything else about her!"

That was why the young Asano did not know what to do.

First, upon reaching the final step of the huge staircase leading to Hikawa Jinja, he checked the torii posts for signs of those two that hated him. Phobos and Deimos, whose names he could not forget, remained perched there. His heart palpitated with such fury at their sight not because he was afraid that they were to attack him again. His heart raced at the fact that they were silent, which only meant to say that someone had instructed them to -- their master who stood there at the front of the Shrine Sanctuary, who as Nishida had said, was expecting him.

Of all the audiences he had to face, this one was the most demanding of him. Just one person who stood in a very respectable white dress that was enough to make him swoon out of guilt that he brought the wrong flowers. So beautiful... from the moment he saw her.

And yet sadly, that was all he did ever knew.

Rei had no idea that he thought she was in her element that night. When Nishida-san called her, she had just finished a phone call with Shigure-san. Shigure-san's call lasted only ten minutes and the fact that it was simply a 'Question and Answer' session didn't please her very much. Whoever gave Shigure-san the idea that getting acquainted in this way was mandatory should be fired. Nishida-san was actually very fortunate that she was agreeable to anything right after that.

Probably not as agreeable to anything. Any news from Kamui-san was such a relief. Without him, she would not have survived the banquet at the Nationalist Party. She had wanted to hear from him all week. Anything!

The Rain Tree... the same one that Kaidou-san always took her out to for her birthday. The place was as well-respected for politicians and their sons even after six years. And Kamui-san had stayed silent even until the dinner at this same restaurant Nishida-san had set up.

"Anooo..." Rei was a bit anxious to start a conversation, she couldn't stand his silence anymore. What had she done? It was not like Kamui-san to stay indifferent. Why must Nishida-san call to set up a date in the first place?

"It is... delicious..." Kamui smiled, raising his fork to acknowledge the food.

She smiled politely in return for the small talk, an instance which only made him melt inside the more. But to her, she was incredibly hating the moment and regretting having said 'yes' to this setup. Besides Kaidou-kun, she had never been out with a man alone as she kept herself busy with Shrine activities and school. (As well as being a senshi, of course.) Many times, she had been asked out but she had always declined knowing that she would hate awkward moments such as this. She was right! Why didn't she trust in her instincts when she of all the senshi, knew that these same instincts even saved the world from the evil forces that threatened it!

When the car had reached the bottom of Hikawa Jinja, Rei tried to mask the exhiliration upon seeing the Shrine steps. If Kamui-san had prolonged this un-gentlemanly treatment of their 'date,' she would've wanted to loose the ravens on him. At least now, he would go and she would be free of him. Must Kamui-san really go out of his way just to torture her in such a manner?

Much to her disappointment however, Kamui-san was gentleman enough to open the door for her and escort her up to the Sanctuary of Hikawa Jinja. And Rei's first thought was to call on Phobos and Deimos had she not seen that lonely look on his face. It seemed so strange for Rei had only seen Kamui-san angry at the most, but never this sad.

"_Daijobu_, Kamui-san..." Rei told him, impatiently seeing him climb the steps. "I can make it up on my own."

"It is okay," he reassured. "I want to." Kamui skipped two steps so that he rushed by her side on the long staircase to Hikawa Jinja.

"Okay then," Rei shrugged, continuing the steps.

"Who are you... Rei...?"

"Eh?"

"Nothing..." Kamui smiled, much to Rei's disappointment seeing that he finally seemed to be starting a real conversation.

"That was... strange," Rei exhaled when she told him. She had wanted to say 'unfair.'

"I was thinking..." Kamui coughed, fortunately guiltily taking the hint from her last statement. "When I have children, I will let them choose whoever they want to marry."

Rei halted in taking a step and looked at him. Kamui-san was still smiling and she couldn't trust whether he was serious or not. "Me, too," she still told him.

"I thought you never wanted to have children?" Kamui's smile had widened to a grin at her interesting answer this time.

"_Anooo_..." Rei could not believe she had forgotten all about that. "In case I do... I would not give any more grief to them by deciding that."

"Grief..." Kamui sighed, advancing ahead of her up the stairs. "I wish it were easy to decide on that."

"Maybe it is easy for you to say, since your father does not decide everything for you. There were times I would defy my father's wishes because he wanted the very thing I disliked."

"So if your father chose someone who you wanted, you would not defy him at all?"

Rei pointedly stared at him. "You're making the principle sound so shallow."

"No, Rei-san," Kamui answered gently. "I'm just saying that it can happen."

Her father's wishes actually coinciding with hers? That would be a first. Even her own mother was said to have simply followed what her father wanted. And even in the remote possibility that it would happen, the only question left would be simple -- who was it that she wanted?

"For example..." Kamui began to smirk. "You can learn to like Shigure-san."

Rei exhaled in irritation and briskly continued up the steps. Of all the kinds of optimism she sought from him? But in case he think of something else, she simply told him, "That was... strange."

She could then hear Kamui chuckling in the background, rushing up the steps to catch up with her. "Because of you, I am starting to dislike politics."

Rei halted in her steps once again. "Because of me?" her eyes rolled. "I never wish to decide anything for you, Kamui-san."

Kamui finally rose on the same level that she stood. "I know," he grinned, unconsciously leaning closer towards her. "I dislike politics enough that I want to stay there and change it."

Kamui was close enough to notice the little smile she formed at the corners of her mouth. "In that case, we are kindred spirits," Rei finally decided to say, finally catching up to the strange logic he made her follow.

"I thought you didn't like politics?"

"One should keep an open-mind about everything... ne, Kamui-san?" it was her turn to smirk, adding a hair flip to that effect. And after that, she took the two final steps towards the zenith of Hikawa Jinja, and gave a gentle motion to Phobos and Deimos... to stay silent and stationary, which they instantly obeyed. Rei looked up to her faithful guardians and nodded to thank them. _Just these few times, my guardians... just these few times... I hope he feels safe around me. _

"Rei-san..."

She froze, sending a mild sense of alarm to Kamui who backed off an inch from the close distance that he had made with her.

"I never did this before, but with you I felt that I have to ask permission," he said, taking a quick glance at the forlorn ravens who religiously stood still at the torii steps. "But I had always wanted to kiss you ever since today started."

Rei felt her cheeks flush. From silent torture to brutal honesty, this incredible switch in Kamui's mood was unwelcomely unpredictable. And for either, she had no answer. More so that the image of Kaidou-kun of six years ago came back in her memories given that it was the same scene recreated. Kaidou-san stood on the same platform back then when she pulled him for a kiss.

"So then..." Kamui whispered, gently leaning towards her till she could hear him breathe steadily. She could not even see it... she could not see Kaidou-san's face. Her eyes were closed when she reached to pull him over. But she could see Kamui-san clearly... and he was looking at her. Seriously looking at her -- sincere and determined. Always sure.

"No..."

Kamui's eyes widened when she put her finger on his lips. His very soul probably cringed at the actions of this present one. The one in the Silver Millenium would never need to ask the Princess of Mars for her permission for just one kiss! He would've just taken one for himself! But although the present one retained the same kind of determination, the factors at play seemed to be more dangerous than the forces of evil. And Kamui... he did not want to wreck this fine relationship.

But Rei, having finally realized and said herself that Kamui-san was a kindred spirit, bluntly realized that was the same one she said of Kaidou-san in the not so distant past of six years ago. For the Princess of Mars, that was the only memory in her mind at that moment she was fighting the urge to say 'yes.' She was fearful of jinxing the one she had right now with a kiss.

"No..." she told him again, at which Kamui gently reeled back in disappointment, since his hand was already holding her arm then and still found himself not letting go of it.

Seeing that same look in his eyes, Rei quickly pulled him close and wrapped her arms tight around him. Resting her chin on his shoulder, she whispered, "But this is allowed."

* * *

_Yokka. Hachigatsu. (August 4)_

Kamui tightened the sash on his hakama and sighed. Won't those leaves ever stop falling?

"You missed a spot," Nishida leaned over and pointed to the ground. "I think you should look at the back of the Shrine too. The mess there is terrible compared to this one."

"..." Kamui gave Nishida one emotionless stare and moved briskly about his 'work.'

"What about your audit classes?" Nishida asked.

"I only have one more," Kamui answered.

"What about your father's recommendation of sending you to Matsushita?"

"I'm still considering it."

"Isn't this too much to do for a girl?"

"You know it's not about that," Kamui answered without flinching.

"_Haii_... it is about you trying to understand how to manage cultural buildings such as these... one area that's in Honohouchi-san's campaign and not in your father's..."

"Bing-GO!"

Kamui winked, giving Nishida a smirk that usually is a trademark of Kamui's more diabolical ruses. However, seeing the young Asano in Shrine robes, complete with the red hakama of a mere assistant raking leaves was the part of the plan he could not at all understand. Hino-san's grandfather had given him "permission" to do so and the old man even agreed to be discreet about it in case Hino-dono's assistant Kagura arrived.

"I still do not understand," Nishida admitted, scratching his head. "You cannot tell me Hino-san is not part of this plan. Come on, Kamui... you may have gone too far researching for politics but not girlfriends."

"I never had any girlfriends..."

"Yes, you haven't!" Nishida laughed. "I forget... you only had fiances. That's just it. Women were never a problem to you! Either you had flings when you travelled or one whom your father arranged with his alliances right here in Japan, waiting to marry you. Even Yuka-san didn't cause you this much trouble."

Kamui shook his head, smirking. "This isn't trouble. This is research."

Nishida was about to ask more when ojii-san came out of the sliding door, carrying Kamui's palm pilot. "Ahh... there you are," the old man said, happily tinkering on his device.

"Haii...ojii-san... I have studied a great deal of Business and Accounting. You'd think I'd be better doing shrine management than this?" Kamui told him, raising the rake he held.

Ojii-san shook his head, without lifting his eyes from the device. "I can't let you in the books yet. Besides, Rei has finished with most of the accounting already," he said. "By the way, she hasn't seen you all morning, hasn't she?"

Nishida raised an eyebrow at Kamui. "She doesn't know?" he asked, surprised.

Kamui shook his head and smiled as he continued to rake the leaves once again. "She hasn't," he answered.

"Hmm..." the old man frowned. "Well, you might as well know. She will be home by four. Kagura-san set an appointment for her to have dinner with this young Honohouchi. They will be leaving at seven."

It was Nishida's turn to smirk when he had heard the news. "Research?" he asked the young master.

"Research," Kamui answered and hastily raked the mess that remained.

* * *

_Yokka. Hachigatsu. Kyujihan. (August 4. 9:30 pm)_

"I hope you have enjoyed our time together," Shigure said, smiling, as he assisted Rei up the last step of the Shrine.

"_Domo_," she whispered to thank him, not placing her hand on the hand he courteously offered to her.

Shigure heavily sighed at the gesture. He was trying his best to be a gentleman, which to her benefit, she greatly acknowledged the entire time. Hino-dono's daughter was responsive to conversations at dinner and indeed showed satisfaction when he took her to his father's latest reconstruction project at Hayashi Koen. There was of course, something he couldn't seem to put his finger on. Her eyes seemed empty ... or blank when she looked at him.

"Anoo...It is still very early," he shyly suggested, tucking his chin-length hair behind his ear. "Would you--"

"--I have classes to attend to, tomorrow... as I have told Kagura-san--"

"--_Sou ka_!" Shigure grinned slightly. "I forgot about that."

"_Domo_..." Rei smiled, thanking him again for the second time, and continued walking towards the Sanctuary.

"_Anoo_..." Shigure began again, lightly poking her shoulder for her to stop. "When can I see you again?"

She froze and looked towards the sliding door of the Sanctuary, where a single light was lit. It was a good thing it was a cloudless sky so Shigure probably didn't see her blush through the dimness of the night. "_A...Anoo..._ " she stuttered.

"I must warn you to be careful."

It was Shigure's turn to freeze as he heard the familiar voice. Asano-dono's son was standing at the platform of the Shrine Sanctuary with his hands crossed. And although he was still a bit far and the night was dim, Shigure could easily tell that Asano-san was contentedly grinning. That manipulative ... _baka_... Asano-san was surely up to something. Shigure was already laughing so loud even before Rei could utter Kamui's name in surprise.

"The Shrine attendant's clothes suit you, Asano-san," Shigure taunted, almost bowing to his knees in laughter. "But I guess this is just one of your usual tactics."

"You can't see in the dark, Honohouchi," was Kamui's double-edged answer. "Don't take another step here or--"

"--Only Hino-san can ask me to leave, Asano-san," Shigure laughed and rebelliously took a step, which at that point, made his left feet land on the scattered birdseed on the ground. The slip he made him rush forward falling on the pavement, almost knocking Rei off her position, and slid towards the tree where most of the bird seed was scattered.

"Shigure-san!" Rei shouted, since that incident was only an embarassment. The danger came from atop the torii posts and they were now flying to what they smelled as buffet raven food on Shigure's newly purchased Miyake coat -- the type that they were easily tearing now since what they thought belonged to them was stuck there. Shigure tried to shoo them away to no avail, until he heard Asano's voice.

"_Daijobu ka_, Shigure-san? Are you alright?" Rei asked as soon as the ravens were gone.

"Asano has to allow those menacing creatures a few pecks on me before he could call them!" Shigure laughed as Rei assisted him to stand on his feet. "Those little monsters really love him."

"Actually..." Rei sighed, dusting the dirt and seeds that stuck to Shigure's coat. "Phobos and Deimos do not like Kamui-san at all."

"Asano has names for them?" Shigure laughed louder.

"They are mine."

Sweatdrop. "Ahh..._haii_..." Shigure blushed from his second embarassment.

"_Gomen_, Shigure-san," Rei apologized. "They are not usually like that."

"It is okay, Rei-san," Shigure whispered and smiled, lightly caressing her cheek to which she 'shyly' withdrew. And from this third embarassment, he took his cue to say goodbye to her and made his way down towards the Shrine steps. But before he descended down to them, Shigure looked back and asked, "I know we have just met, but... is it enough for you to trust Asano-san than me?"

Only a breath of exhale and no answer.

Shigure nodded. "Don't trust too easily, Hino-san," he told her. "There are things about him that you just don't know. _Oyasumi_."

Kamui once said that Rei didn't take the time to read the papers . Maybe if she did, she would just have known more about him. Sometimes he himself was mentioned apart from the news about their fathers. An elegant and sought-after bachelor, one teen writer had said. Or maybe Kamui's image in the papers was not what she should know about. It was rare for a soon to be Prime Minister's son to be in the newspapers. How was it that she has missed one 'elegant and sought-after bachelor' who walked the same halls in Waseda as she did all this time?

Phobos and Deimos were already pecking at the scattered bird seed when she returned towards the Shrine Sanctuary. So Rei knelt down beside them. "Do not hurt anyone again, _minna_. Please stay here... _onegai_?" she begged, before going inside the Sanctuary.

He had seen her enter the Sanctuary as he sat by the living room, his arm on his bent knee. But Kamui grinned as he saw her gaze emptily at him when she passed him by, probably thinking that he was behind that latest incident. What a good way for her to know that her ojii-san let him here, he smirked, dialing up Nishida's number on his celphone.

"Yes, Prince Asano?" Nishida greeted on the other line. "How is the 'research?'

Click. Kamui's eyes widened in surprise.

Instantly after her reappearance into the living room, Rei quickly took the hand that rested on his knee, and jabbed.. err... dabbed a cotton of alcohol on Kamui's gashed palm. "So..." she said, twitching her brows after he groaned in pain. "How did you convince my ojii-san to be his new Shrine attendant?"

"He wanted my Palm Pilot," Kamui answered simply, bearing the stinging pain of the alcohol she placed on his wounds.

"This is for your father's campaign, isn't it, Kamui-san?" she asked, her heart nervously beating.

"_Hai_," he answered without hesitation, as always. "Honohouchi's campaign included the restoration of cultural structures. I want to research on that a little."

"Don't you think..." she paused. "... Don't you think that it's unethical to do that on your rival's territory?"

The question was a discomfort to Kamui and he paused for a moment and watched her put the gauze on his wounds before he could answer. "If I wanted to spy on your father, Rei-san, I would've done so in Parliament or with his nearby allies not in the house of his daughter."

"Honohouchi-san is my father's ally. So Shigure-san's being here is..."

"What good is Shigure to my father but a pawn in the SCP's plan?" he angrily boasted, quickly pulling his hand before she could place the final gauze. "I just saved his life from your ravens so you can marry him whenever you like."

Rei narrowed her eyes, surprised and irritated at his outburst. But Kamui continued to look at her with disdain, since at that moment, he was not ready to be grateful or to apologize. For any man, it was as simple as things simply piling up -- his father's expectations, Shigure's mere favor in Hino-dono's eyes for just being a Honohouchi, her ravens... who still did not like him up to this day...

In Rei's mind, however, were a lot of thoughts. She reeled back away from him, trying her best to stop from squinting, and instead, look defiant. Yes, he was only here for Shigure-san... he was here to know what his father and Kagura-san were plotting... he only wanted to know how Honohouchi-dono would act... what would happen to her father's alliance when Shigure-san married her.

"Maybe tomorrow I will marry Shigure-san," she replied. "Then like you, I can please my father."

He had no intention of answering her nor following after her. It was a good thing. She did not want him to see her in tears over a petty argument.

First fight.

The real triumph that night was actually Shigure's ... if he had just known. Halfway down the Shrine steps, he smiled as his phone rang. "There must be good things that I should look forward to, Shigure-kun," a husky seductive voice almost sang on the other line. "Aside from the fact that you are soon to be engaged, of course."

"Tominaga... Yuka!" Shigure exclaimed.

"_Haii_!" the voice giggled at the other end.

"I am happy to here that you are back here in Japan... where things get to be more interesting."

"What's more interesting here than in New York?" Yuka laughed.

"The fiance you left behind."

* * *

_Gonichi. Hachigatsu. (August 5)_

Parliament Reshuffling Looms.

That was what the newspaper headline said. It said that Parliament was divided into two forces -- the leading DLP Party led by Junichiro Asano and the SCP/Nationalist Party Coalition headed by her own father, Ryoichi Hino.

Her newspaper was perfectly hidden in Hino Rei's huge file folder so Kamui was unable to catch her reading it. She didn't want to prove him right by accepting his advice when he snatched her to catch the fireworks at the Sumida. This was reading for her own welfare. The stage was set for when the battle would finally begin for her father and the Asano clan in getting the prime seat of government in Japan. No wonder Kamui was all set to research for his father's campaign. And no wonder, Honohouchi-san...

What was it exactly that Honohouchi wanted that he was so intent in helping his father out?

Kamui was right in that at least. He never kept anything from her. It wasn' t like he would notice anyway since he did not even look at her during breakfast.

"Where are you going?" Her grandfather asked her when she stood up from the breakfast table.

"To school," she answered. "Kagura has arranged to..." She bowed her head a little. "... to have Shigure-san pick me up." She whispered the last part.

And Kamui must have learned that poker-faced look of indifference from his father, the greatest of Asanos, since he didn't even flinch with that one at all. Nor did he bother to square off wits with Shigure-san when he escorted her out of the house.

But it didn't matter. It didn't matter at all. In her mind, Rei remembered how he said she could marry Shigure-san whenever she wanted.

"What is wrong, Hino-san?" Shigure asked, noticing her irritated disposition after flipping her hair.

"N-nothing..."

"It is such a nice day," Shigure remarked, pointing to the beautiful weather outside. "Maybe we should walk the rest of the way."

"_Hai_..."

It would be a good fifteen minute walk to Waseda-Dori, and Rei's mind was on something else other than thinking of Honohouchi Shigure's strange behavior so she was being agreeable. Shigure-san kept remarking about the beautiful weather and how he too had passed at K.O University, same as Mamoru but that he was doing all this so he could get back in his father's good graces. He was what?

"I was saying that it is better to take a walk under this weather than stay inside the car."

That was pretty far off than what she had heard. She thought that her psychic powers were not telling her anything. She actually was not listening to it. Far more distracted than ever, merely ten minutes after the walk, she felt a strong tug on her bag but she maintained a fierce hold onto it before the thief finally let go, running hastily in guilt away from the scene. He was not very fast though... seeing that Shigure had caught up with him. He was about to deliver the thief a straight punch when she saw two huge men blocking her view.

"Hino-san! Stand back!"

"!"

Shigure-san had successfully thrown a punch at one of the guys in front of her just as he was about to take a step. The man was bigger than he was, with hands huge enough to break Shigure's skull, but it seemed Shigure was fast enough. And that one punch was so powerful that the man turned and almost lost his balance. The second one was angrier, not as huge and tall as his companion, but no less a thug and still bigger and fiercer than Shigure. He aimed to grapple Shigure by his shoulder but the latter was quick enough to strike at his shin making him fall flat on the pavement. The adrenaline rush kicked in for both of them, having lost on the first strike. They both stood up, each one more determined than ever to get back at their antagonist.

Rei ran towards them and looked around for a weapon of some sort she could use. From her vantage point, she could see the thief behind Shigure, ready to help his companions. He was intensely outnumbered. Her acute sense of justice did kick in at that moment. It was not necessary to transform into Sailormars at this point, but it was tempting to do that in order to burn those unfair agressors in one quick instance. The three men advanced towards Shigure and she could see him prepare his stance against all of them.

Rei placed her right foot forward to prepare her own stance as well. Anytime one of them lunges at Shigure, she too was ready.

_RING! RING!_

"Nani?" Rei's eyes widened in surprise at the sound of a phone ringing. She then gasped. Shigure had already delivered two quick kicks to both men in front of her and had successfully avoided an attack from behind from the third accomplice.

_RING! RING!_

The sound came from her bag. The Princess of Mars rarely got distracted in battle but at that moment, she wondered how a phone with that familiar sound got in her possessions. So amidst the sound of the groans and punches, she quickly searched inside and found the familiar phone with the broken, washed-out monitor.

"Rei-san!" It said. "Is it over already?"

"Eh?" Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Honohouchi." Kamui's angry voice hastily answered on the phone. "If he is not finished beating up those guys yet, stand back and let him finish them."

"If you knew about this..." Rei asked suspiciously. "... then why waren't you out here helping him?"

"Why should I?" came Kamui's proud retort. "As long as you're not getting hurt!"

"..." And she only squinted in annoyance.

"It's probably over by now. Take a look and give this phone to Honohouchi."

"Hino-san..."

She gasped in surprise, unaware that Shigure was already in front of her. His hair was a little unruffled and his shirt had specks of dirt and sweat from the fight. The three men were down before she could rush over to help him -- they were all face down and groaning loudly.

Without a word, she sighed and handed the mysterious and miraculous mobile phone to Shigure. A huge question mark hung over Shigure's head, wondering what had caused her to be angry despite her rescue, seeing that she looked pointedly at him.

"_Moshi-mosh--_"

"Honohouchi-baka!" The voice on the other line interrupted, shouting loudly enough that it raised a sweatdrop on Shigure that even Rei could hear it, only increasing her irritation.

"What have you done again this time?" Kamui's voice continued, as Shigure tiptoed away from Rei for her not to hear anymore.

"Asano-kun... what are you talking about?" Shigure asked, laughing hysterically.

"Don't pretend that this is something amusing! You've done this to all of your women, including Yuka!"

"Asano-kun... it's a good thing you mentioned Yuka-chan... Shall I be the one to remind you of your..." Shigure paused, a sharp smirk formed at the left corner of his mouth. "... Your jealousy."

Shigure heard Kamui chuckle momentarily. "Baka..." he laughed confidently. "Rei-san is not the same as any of your girls who have enjoyed your show... especially not Yuka. But, if she gets hurt with any of your antics..."

"Honohouchi-san?" Rei's voice surprised Shigure as she was standing behind, her foot on top of the face of the thug Shigure had just leveled... such that the thug could not breathe and stand up. "What is happening?"

"... I swear by the crest of the Asano clan that your joints will be INEXISTENT when I am done with you." Shigure reassuredly grinned, sweatdrop above his head as heard Kamui's last threatening warning and seeing Rei's foot on top of his accomplices.

"Haii... Asano-kun..." Shigure smiled. "You don't have to worry a thing about Rei-san. I swear to protect her with my life."

"Eh?" Rei questioned in surprise, lightly grabbing the phone from Shigure, sensing that all was not well despite Shigure's promise. But just when she was trying to get hold of what the impetus in her psyche was telling her, Kamui was already finished with his speech.

But all she heard was, "Sayonara... baka..."

CLICK.

* * *

_Still Gonichi. Hachigatsu. But in the afternoon. (August 5) 5:00 pm._

"Her class ends at 4."

"..."

"You should not worry though," the old man smiled, as though he knew his thoughts. "Shigure has promised to get her home at 5. And no later."

So then, the younger and prouder Asano, stood halfway towards the Crown Game Center in his hakama, because he did not wish that she should see him waiting for her. Most of all, he hated Honohouchi's guts -- that smirk on his face, taking her home when she's thinking that he was such a hero... It boiled his insides. Nishida was busy by his father's side so there was no one to spy... er... stay by the Shrine to watch.

The longest fifteen minutes of his life so far. His watch said it was 5:05. Imagine that? He wanted to go back to Hikawa Jinja by 5:15. How could he keep himself occupied? He had to... or else in his mind, Honohouchi would have died again... this would be the seventh time he'd be killing that baka in his thoughts...

"_Gomen nasai_!" Kamui immediately apologized, realizing that he absent-mindedly bumped against a woman. He then quickly bent down to pick her bag on the pavement.

"This is very much like you!" the woman said, that familiar sophisticated chuckle accompanied it. "You cannot see anything when you are lost in thought!"

Kamui froze, and only then began to realize that the bag he lifted was the one that came from him... two Christmases ago. Gently, he rose and with his face dimmed, handed the bag to her. "Yuka..." he whispered.

Yuka chuckled a bit, gently took the bag from Kamui's hand, and smiled at him. "It's been a long time, Kamui..." she told him. "I have only been in Tokyo for the last six hours. Would you like to take me out to dinner?"

He saw her lick her lips for one second. It was a good trick which she knew he could not resist, except his watch beeped an alarm. It read 5:15.

"I have to go back," he reasoned, already taking a step towards Hikawa Jinja.

"You are a Shrine attendant?" Yuka asked, commenting on his hakama.

He nodded.

"It is not like you," she smiled mischievously. "You are doing this again for your father's campaign?"

Kamui nodded again. For sure, she knew too well what he was like. He did not have time for this.

"Kamui, it's been a long time," she smiled, trying to match her pace with his. "Going back to the Shrine can't be this important!"

"I know," he replied.

"Shigure-kun said you missed me..." Yuka cajoled, squeezing his arm. "So she cannot be this important."

"..." Kamui smirked. "You believe Honohouchi too much." And to her dismay, Kamui did not stop walking.

"Then you better hurry," she finally said in annoyance. "Shigure-kun's heroics will not work this time."

Kamui's eyes widened. It was only then that he stopped. "What do you mean?" he asked, clenching his fist under his sleeve.

Yuka said nothing and simply bit her lip, like she always did when she was hiding something from him. She regretted having said that... knowing Kamui. He was giving her the sharpest look, the kind that meant business. Only business. She could feel the sharp pressure of his fingers on her arm.

"I suppose... you don't want to have coffee at least?" Yuka said sweetly, leaning closer to touch her nose with his... which he shrugged, much to her embarassment.

"Ok..." Yuka answered. He didn't have to say a word. "I will tell you... the next one is not staged."

Kamui's eyes locked in surprise and anger. "When is this going to happen? It's going to happen this afternoon, isn't it?"

Yuka's smile faded instantly, seeing that her charms were not working.

"Kamui!" she called.

But he was already running. Good thing his reliable red Mazda was just around the curve. He was nearly speeding... however possible it was to speed in the streets of Tokyo. His other hand dialed the celphone he placed in Rei's bag, and cussed after the twelfth ring. His watch said it was 5:40.

"Honohouchi... BAKA!" Kamui cussed crisply. "You better make sure that your paid thugs do not even get to touch the edge of her nails!"

And at 5:45 pm...

Kamui-san was very much too late. Or so Rei thought.

How could she still be thinking of that miserable low-life at this time? Maybe because she was wondering who was with her ojii-san at this moment. He called her with a broken celphone, which kept ringing in her bag even at this time for some reason who knew what. And he obviously knew that Shigure-san was in trouble that afternoon and his phone call was meant to tear him apart with words over silly political rivalries.

And now both her hands were locked behind her. She recognized those two goons Shigure had fought that afternoon. The shape of her heel was stamped at the man's forehead. Baka Kamui! If he didn't do anything to mess her head that day, she couldn't have ignored her psyche that evil was near. So now, she was caught unaware that those two thugs came out of nowhere to take revenge.

"Shigure-san! _Daijobu_?" she asked with the greatest concern.

"I am alright, Hino-san!" Shigure answered, sweat running through the layers of his heavy bangs and covered the black eye on his left. "Please don't hurt her! She has nothing to do with this!"

"Oi, Tsutomu! You believe this guy?" the one who held Rei laughed. "This bitch just screwed her heel on my head and the good ol' politican's son wants us to forget it!" He laughed out loud, spewing sprays of saliva.

Tsutomu, who held Shigure laughed as well, squeezing Shigure's hand behind his back in one easy motion that made him squeal. "I tell you, Honohouchi-baka... you should've practiced simple aikido!" Tsutomu laughed. "And paid us on time!"

"Paid you...?" Rei repeated in disbelief.

"_Nani_? What are you--?" Shigure tried to laugh, only for his hand to be squeezed again.

"He has a sudden case of amnesia, doesn't he, Kaeda?" Tsutomu laughed. "You ran off owing us for the last two jobs! We give you a show that you're some judo expert and it still looks as though none of your women were impressed! Then for our kindness, you let your woman hurt my brother Kaeda here?"

"_Anoo_... I---OWW!" Shigure failed to reason with his arm being squeezed again, and Tsutomu finally let go, making Shigure drop to the pavement.

Tsutomu then went towards Rei, smirking evilly as he looked at her. "The last one was such a dog! Inu-baka...I don't understand why you date these women!" Tsutomu laughed. "But this one..." he slowed down, caressing a strand of hair that fell around Rei's face. "This one... you hit the jackpot!"

"Aa! You're right, brother!" Kaeda laughed, smelling Rei's hair as he held her close. "Even if I don't get paid, I wanted to come here just to get my revenge on this one!"

The compact that would transform Rei to a senshi was in the bag along with Kamui's now dead celphone. They were both so far away but she was envisioning the part where she would transform and proceed to burn the two thugs to a crisp. But for now, she had to settle for kicking Tsutomu right at the part where it would hurt most and gave a follow-up on his foot, to which he sprawled on the floor screaming in pain. Kaeda escaped that quick maneuver by pulling some of her hair and pinning her hands tightly, where she almost screamed in pain.

"This is another wench you dated, Shigure!" Tsutomu screamed, after some heavy cursing and crying. "You are going to be next after I'm done with your woman!"

Tsutomu quickly pulled back his fist in anger and was extremely sure that he had a clear aim at her face, since his brother Kaeda made sure that she was held tight despite all her struggle.

But he wasn't able to deliver that last blow.

His fist was held back to where he pulled it, hesitantly pulling it farther away from him. And before he knew it, Tsutomu was down back first on the pavement where another blow was delivered to his balls, one to his nose and that huge kick on his chest that he lay there choking.

Kaeda was desperate and in so much fear that he pulled back a fistful of Rei's hair, causing her to scream in pain, and making him mutter a real curse. Tsutomu was more seasoned in three martial arts than he was, even though he was the bigger man, but someone had beaten him. Didn't he know that Kamui learned four and sparred with a few during his trip in Thailand?

Seeing that he was near, Kaeda took only three steps back to flee, pushing Rei back towards him. Kamui was too concentrated to notice that she fell close to him, making her slip a bit to the ground on her knees, much to her surprise. He was so intent on his revenge on his target that Kaeda ended up a little worse than his brother when Rei looked back.

"I know the IDs on you both, Kaeda... Tsutomu..." Kamui threatened in a really low and scary voice. "I'll trace both of you if you ever reach even a centimeter towards her."

The adrenaline of those two had rushed them out of the scene right after his last sentence, but sooner than those two had fled that Kamui now fixed his gaze on Shigure, obviously shivering. Yuka had warned him never to get Kamui this angry. He usually just shrugged things off, she said, but when he was mad for a reason, he never saw anything else past that. He had seen that already and if Yuka hadn't stopped Kamui the last time, he would've been dead.

"Stop it, Kamui!" Rei rushed hysterically to his side, grabbing a part of his sweater.

Kamui...? She has not called him without any formalities before. He looked back at her, with her hair completely disheveled and her clothes soiled from that thug's dirty hands. And without thinking, he brushed the hair off her face with her fingers and wiped the dirt off her cheek.

"_Onegai_?" was all Rei could say to plead for Shigure's life.

"Understood," he told her simply, learning the plea from her glassy eyes. He then walked a bit towards Shigure, who now sat himself on the pavement, given that his knees could not allow him to stand. Kamui sat on his knees and looked sternly at Shigure.

"Did I not tell you that if she gets hurt with any of your antics...?" Kamui warned, then pausing to give him a smirk, which he knew Shigure understood.

"I guess I get to keep my joints this time," Shigure answered, returning his smirk. "And you will get to keep your jealousy."

Kamui nodded. A sharp curve forming on one side of his mouth. He then smacked Shigure's forehead with the palm of his hand and stood up to walk to where Rei still stood, unknowing that she was smiling with relief ... that Kamui was actually right again.

Kamui did not waste his time as soon as he got to where she stood, setting his gaze the whole time at her. Quickly putting his arms around her, he gently brushed the strands of her hair that Kaeda had pulled.

Rei's eyes widened and she exhaled in surprise, instantly feeling her cheeks burn when his cheek touched her own. She was able to see Shigure's mouth drop for a moment at the gesture and finally smiled as he was supposed to be a good sport.

But Kamui was too focused that day and didn't notice anything. He hugged her tightly again. "You said this is allowed," Kamui said, reminding her of the promise she gave him during their last 'date.'

"Kamui-san..." Rei answered softly. "You confuse me."

She wrapped her arms around him as well and reminded herself that all she was doing was upholding a promise to the one who saved her... again.

- tsuzuku -  
Yes, there's a continuation. ;;;

---------------------------------------------  
chiisai noto:  
Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. - Sorry for the looooooooooooooooong update! I am busy more than you can believe and this story has been in the factory for months, I think! I can't think of side stories for the other senshi for now but of course, you know me... I still love Rei-chan so I devote this entire chapter to her. It doesn't end here of course. Kamui's only EX-fiance just came, and Shigure is just warming up... many things are happening that I'm starting to think this is like Hana Yori Dango than Sailormoon. hehe! But the senshi are more mature now so the stories are better. There is still that magical aspect to come. I have to keep that since this is in touch with the manga, of course! (This is my first pass so I might not have edited so well... I'll try to edit more. I hope it's not boring. ;;;)


	10. 08: Arts of War

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 8 - Arts of War**

_Shichinichi. Hachigatsu. (August 7th)_

"It is only a minor setback."

Shigure Honohouchi stressed the word 'minor' when he uttered the sentence, sprawled on his ex-girlfriend's couch, at which Yuuka's eye twiched in irritation at seeing him use her transparent purple ice pack on his badly bruised chin.

"You call that minor?" Yuuka stressed, slapping the ice pack on him causing him to groan in pain. "I can barely understand a word you're saying! And worse, I had to pay those thugs triple for all the injuries that Kamui caused them!"

"This is why we broke up, Yuuka," Shigure complained, now holding his ice pack on his bruised shoulder. "You never cared for me during moments like this. I'm surprised Kamui lasted with you a year!"

Yuuka's eyes rolled. "Kamui never had those 'minor' setbacks," she hissed.

Shigure groaned again as he returned the pack on his aching chin.

"Is that all you'll do?"

"I am in pain, Yuuka."

"Then you lose your fiancee and I lose mine. And you know I always hate losing!" Yuuka's long red fingernails scratched deeply on the corners of her red sofa. "You made me come all this way from L.A. for nothing. And I'm not going to be the villain in this television drama!"

That just didn't make any impression on Shigure, who was not even bent on revenge at the moment. "You're too melodramatic," especially eyeing her vampish appearance of wearing red on almost everything.

Yuuka, of course, could get away with wearing almost anything and she knew it. She had shocked Japanese political aristocracy before by wearing loud animal prints on the appointment of her father to ambassador, but Tominaga-dono didn't mind. Yuuka represented the liberal Japanese woman who knew how to get her message across the "stuffy" politicians' wives in their kimonos. She only realised that Japan was too small a place for her when she and Kamui parted their romantic ways.

"There is still a way," Yuuka continued. "It will be my father's retirement leave as ambassador and he will be having a party. Of course, members of the DLP and SCP will be invited."

"Goodbye, Yuka..." Shigure groaned. Yuka tugged at his pants with unbelievable strength that he saw no choice but to listen.

"I only want a very simple thing, Shigure..." she finally sighed. "A very simple thing..."

* * *

"A very simple thing..." And that it was indeed. All it needed was some sort of ... garnish to finally complete his entire look and Soujirou was sure that he could fool anyone with his great new disguise.

He bought black rimmed glasses that he was sure one his mentor wore. (He had tried on about fifteen other pairs to make sure that this one framed his face very well. His curly hair was waved with water gel so that it still looked very academic but not too stiff and he tied his long curly locks into a low pony tail. (The thought of cutting it was simply a novel idea at that time but even for Ami Mizuno, he would never give that up.)

He looked at the name on his lab coat, which said today he was Ohsumi-sensei and he would be teaching ...

Err... teaching?

RRRRRIIIINNNGGGGG!

"_Konnichiwa, minna-saaan!"_ "Ohsumi-sensei greeted all his students, especially nodding at Ami Mizuno, who was busy cleaning up her dissecting tools. Dissecting tools? _Mattakku! _Is this a lab? How can he be in Biology class?

"You're right on time, Nishimura-sensei!" One of his "students" greeted him.

"Thank you, but I am Ohsumi-sensei... here to teach you Biology!" (Sweatface.) Soujirou corrected him.

"Actually, Nishimura-sensei... it's Cell and Developmental Biology," another 'brilliant' student corrected him.

"What is the difference?" he grinned. "And by the way, it's Oh-suuu-miiii..."

"Well, biology is just too basic. The last time we studied the S phase entry in the early embryonic cycle."

Sweatface. "Sounds like fun," Seijurou grinned. _Try mentioning anything in basic Engineering and I'll let this building collapse upon you, baka!_

"So what shall we do next, Nishimura-sensei?"

"Ohsumi!"

"Are we continuing on the study of the mitotic, meotic cell cycles and haploid gametes? But that would seem highly irregular for you, Nishimura-sensei."

"It's easier to pronounce Oh-su-mi, isn't it?" Seijurou calmly and sweetly said, breaking a pencil in two with his one hand. "And why would it be highly irregular for me? I am after all in charge of this lab?"

"Because your award-winning thesis in Engineering didn't exactly tackle anything about cells."

"Well, that's because you haven't read your latest lab series on Biology," Seijirou coughed. "And besides, what do you really know about transcient phase material science and engineering?"

"Ohsumi-sensei!" At last, a sweet angel has finally called him by the right disguise... er, name.

"What can I do for you... Mizuno-san?" At least all this arguing was going somewhere.

"Maybe we could start by studying simple cell activity?" Her simplicity only increased Seijirou's interest in her more. If she did not have a too closed schedule, he wouldn't need to disguise himself and see her personally in this boring class.

"That will be good, Mizuno-san! Extremely brilliant!" Did she notice how he applauded her over everyone else? "What do you uh... _cough_ suggest we do?"

"A blood sample would be a good start," Ami said sweetly, adjusting her microscope.

"This is good... now where do we keep all the blood samples?" Seijirou inquired, his voice creaking and his own self trying to fade away from the scene... as this was not one of the things they generally went to do in Engineering. Not even the part where he felt a slight tinge of needle pricking into his index finger, which what seemed to be happening right then...

"_ITTTEEEEEEEEEE_!" Seijirou screamed, almost breaking the beakers and test tubes. "What are you doing?"

The student scratched his head and raised the needle he was holding. "Ohsumi-sensei usually volunteered first," the student said, as the sharp point of the needle gleamed in the light.

Soujirou sighed. Did Ohsumi volunteer all his living cells too? This would explain the professor's thin and skeleton-like frame. "Why did he do that?" Soujirou had to ask.

"Because Ohsumi-sensei, you are in charge of this lab."

"I am?" Soujirou was too weak to strangle him now that they recognized his wonderful disguise.

"_Hai... Ohsumi-sensei..._ so if you would just hold still, this would only take a few seconds"

"A few seconds?" Soujirou wanted that student to swear with his very own blood how many seconds that would exactly take. This was the reason why he dismissed the scholarship on Biochemistry that was given him. He was a genius, after all. Didn't Ami Mizuno realize that? But it was at this time that Ami Mizuno was actually watching him... and she actually believed he was Ohsumi-sensei, the brave professor who gave his blood for such an experiment.

So he hesitantly stretched his hand towards the student ... inching as he did. Squirming as he did. Unable to close his eyes as he did because Ami Mizuno was watching... very intently. _This is worth it_, he repeated this to himself as a consolation. After all these heroics, she would just approach him boldly, giggling and constantly flattering him with praise on his blood donation to their experiment! _This is truly worth it, indeed!_

"_IYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA_!" Seijirou screamed again, on the first touch of the needle on his hand.

"I AM NISHIMURA SOUJIROU! SUMMA CUM LAUDE AND TOP THESIS IN ENGINEERING!"

And with that confession, Ami Mizuno's heart palpitated like crazy upon seeing Nishimura-sensei's lips pale like paper at a mere blood prick. So she immediately rushed to his side and do her duty as a future doctor. Seijirou fell into a swoon and unfortunately for him, was only semi-unconscious when the future love of his life caught him in her arms.

"Hisagana-san! How much blood did you take?" Ami cried frantically to the bewildered student.

Hisagana-san scratched his head and raised the needle for her to see its sharp point gleam in the light. "I-I haven't even started, Mizuno-san," Hisagana explained.

"Soujirou-sensei! Soujirou-sensei!" Ami screamed at him, feeling his pulse and relieved that it was only a simple panic attack. "_Daijoubu desu ka?_ If you are alright, please speak a few sentences!"

Soujirou's eyes fluttered a little bit and relieved to see a vision of her, even in the slightest. "I am Nishimura Soujirou... genius in Engineering... and I hate blood..."

It was a period of panic for the entire Cell and Development Biology class. Since they did not know whether Ohsumi-sensei has anemia or just has wild hallucinations, they did not laugh.

"Mizuno Ami... would you go out with me?"

Unfortunately for Soujirou, he finally collapsed into a swoon and was not able to hear Ami Mizuno laugh and say yes to his proposal, never mind that she had to study for missing Cell and Development Biology class that day. She simply figured that the date would start later in the evening and she would have to pick him up at Tokyo Tech's clinic... as soon as they revive him with ammonia.

* * *

_Hachinichi. Hachigatsu. (August 8th)_

"Thank you for coming by, Kamui-san," Rei said and gave him a lower bow as a sign of her gratitude from saving her that week. It also was a very effective method of concealing the blush in her cheeks, being so ashamed of being rescued yet again when her powers could have saved her.

But Kamui was beaming. He did notice her new red and orange kimono, complete with the colors of summer. (She was secretly worried that he did not notice, that guys never paid attention to such things). It was almost surreal for him, seeing her seated across the dinner table, preparing the dinner she had served for him for being her savior. _Ahh... what that must have felt like... coming home like this and seeing..._

"Thank you! Thank you, Asano-dono!" Ojii-san shouted, slapping his back so hard he almost dived onto the table. The old man was beaming, of course. Not only did he have Kamui's palm pilot, Kamui also saved his only grand daughter.

Just then, this image had become so real. _Ojii-san would have to stay in Hikawa Jinja, right?_

"_Hai... hai..._ I am very grateful for the celebration, _ojii-san_. Please think nothing of it!" Kamui bowed back to acknowledge their thanks. "I am very honored in fact to share in this delicious meal with you that Rei-san has prepared."

She coughed. "_Demo..."_

"Rei is very busy with managing Hikawa Jinja and her studies, so I was the one who prepared all this," Ojii-san said, smiling thoughtlessly. "But she makes a very mean instant curry!"

_Hora... how can she lack that basic skill?_

"_Nani?"_ Rei asked, raising an eyebrow. Apparently, Kamui did not notice that he had spoken his thoughts out loud.

"Ahh... Rei, can you please help Asano-dono with his drink?" Ojii-san always had a better save for Kamui than his grand daughter for the price of a palm pilot. At least, she obediently got up and proceeded to open the bottle of wine while he politely pointed his chopsticks towards her INSTANT curry.

"Of course, now we know we haven't heard the last of the Honohouchi clan but as long as they keep their distance from Rei, everything will be alright," Ojii-san smiled, seeing Kamui take a huge bite of curry. "He has mentioned a woman though as an accomplice, named Yuuka. Do you know who she is?"

Kamui nodded, slowly chewing the large lumps of curry in his mouth. "She was... my former fiancee..." he said in between chews, as he now felt a slight tinging sensation at the edge of his tongue, which at that exact moment also, Rei now had trouble opening the bottle of wine for him.

"A former fiancee?" Ojii-san asked, stroking his beard. "It sounds like she is jealous of Rei-chan. But why? It's not like you and Rei-chan..."

Kamui interrupted the old man's sentence with a large cough, and Rei had _given up_ trying to open that wine bottle. When her grandfather said Rei made a very mean instant curry, he did not know it was that mad at him. Rei, of course, felt complete empathy immediately after her own _ojii-san_ gave her imperative looks and seeing that Kamui was almost red, she could not let him die from her curry without explaining who this Yuuka was who tried to kill her.

Kamui grabbed the wine bottle and drank directly from it as soon as she was able to open it. He exhaled in huge relief, wiped the sweat off his face with his handkerchief to keep his composure. "It was one of my father's arranged matches," he pointedly turned to look at Rei first and then explained to her grandfather.

"And it was the only match that I had intended to keep," Kamui explained, trying to sound monotonous as possible. "But things did not work out for us."

That entire dinner, Rei's grandfather never asked again about Yuuka. The brief explanation suited him, understanding completely what was happening. The old man was wise enough not to prod through the past relationships of men and keen enough not to ask the secrets of the youth. But Rei's heart was aching to know more about Yuuka, especially about what she really looked like for Kamui to treat her like a true fiancee -- his one true fiancee, in fact. She must be really beautiful and sophisticated. It was ridiculous, of course, but for women, it was (secretly) always a beauty contest.

"We did not talk at all tonight, Rei-san," Kamui told her as he was not so dense, as she opened the sliding door.

Rei smiled at him and waited a little. Ten seconds. Fifteen. But he did not open up the subject. "_Matte..."_ she asked him to wait instead, and ran towards her room to pick up a little package, wrapped in red and white Japanese paper, which she handed to Kamui.

"_Arigato..."_ he thanked her, his heart racing in excitement, as he opened the package. Inside it was a small DoCoMo (cellular phone) that was handy enough to fit inside his pocket.

"Remember the old phone that I returned to you the other day? It look so beaten and destroyed, it was a miracle you were able to call me and Shigure-san," Rei recalled.

A miracle, no other word was appropriate. "It is a very good phone," Kamui smiled proudly, tapping his left pocket where he still placed after she had returned it. "Eine bought it at Akihabara."

"But it looks so beaten," Rei explained, never understanding Kamui's relationship with the gadget, "This one will be good for you and it has all the excellent features such as a higher megapixel for the camera."

"You don't have to, Rei-san," Kamui said, handing back the gift. "I came to help you from Shigure because I knew what he was up to, so I had to."

Rei gently pushed the package back towards him and smiled. "This is not trying to pay you back for saving me," she said trying to conceal her excitement, as she brought out her own red DoCoMo. "My number is stored. I hope you can call me."

_"I want to be your friend."_

* * *

_Juunichi. Hachigatsu. (August 10th) The Ambassador Tominaga's Retirement Party_

That was the first time Rei Hino first saw Yuka Tominaga, known to everyone as the daughter of the ambassador but better known to her as _the former fiancee._ Yuka stood taller than her and met the expectations she had of any of Kamui's exes -- the part that said she would be beautiful and sophisticated. Yuka Tominaga stood about 4 inches higher than her, which was why she had been able to participate in the Miss Tokyo pageant. (This is what she learned from Kagura.) She dressed in a maroon velvet boat neck and backless gown with long sleeves, donning only huge pearls for a necklace and earrings. Her dark red lipstick and pulled back hair spelt seductive.

And all of that made Rei feel a bit too insecure, not knowing that dressed in her short and flowing thinly spaghetti strapped dress, she was also quite an attraction. But of course, this did not make sense to a girl of 20 who had just debuted in the parties of the political elite against a veteran and older Yuka (with the son of possibly the next prime minister as her ex.)

Yuka waited until Kagura had left to watch over the elder Hino, talking on one side of the ballroom with his SCP leaders. Her experienced eyes scanned the room for SCP allies on the younger Hino... such as Kaidou-san who was at the other corner, scoping for Shigure Honohouchi. Yuka waved at Kaidou who bowed to acknowledge. She had sent Shigure for a more important assignment. First, she had to give Rei Hino a chance.

As Yuka could already see Kamui enter the ballroom, only to be intercepted by Ono-san as planned.

"I could not believe this is the only time we have met. I have been meeting Hino-dono for years!" Yuka told Rei, as if they were sisters. "Now would probably be the last time since my father is retired."

"I guess there was no other opportunity except today," Rei simply answered, taking a sip of her tea.

"_Sou ka na..._" Yuka agreed, grinning, raising her martini glass.

Discreetly, she examined the new woman in the younger Asano's life and disappointed that this one did not meet her expectations. She was told that Hino-dono's daughter was brought up by her maternal grandfather and therefore very traditional. A true _nadeshiko_ which would mean she would grow up to be one of the stuffy old submissive wives should she get into political life. Yuka downplayed Shigure's drooling compliments upon Rei as his desire of conquest for someone who would be her opposite, since she was sure she also broke Shigure's heart as she did Kamui's. But Rei proved to be ... a looker and what was worse, it seemed to Yuka that Rei did not even know it. What could have happened if Rei was like her, who knew the power she possessed?

"How long have you known Kamui?" Yuka asked pointedly, to which Rei raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I just want to go straight to the point."

"Barely..." Rei lied. "It has only been about ... a few months."

"A few months?" Yuka laughed. "That must've been the longest courtship!"

Rei shook her head. What was the matter with Yuka?

In the meantime, Yuka had first spotted Kamui Asano, who she has been looking for all night. And when she had finally seen him, he had already distanced himself from the party of his father and the other DLP members. The worst part for Yuka's night was that she had received all sorts of invitations from the most distinguished gentlemen that night but it was his smile that mattered. She waved at him and quickly realized that it was not at all for her.

Kamui pulled the DoCoMo from his pocket and dialled the only stored number in it.

"_Moshi-moshi..."_ Rei spoke softly on her own DoCoMo, trying to control her grin on something that was so silly. She was ironically the only dense one that night, not realising that Kamui at that time, wanted nothing but to speak to her, inspite of Yuka.

"I would like to ask a simple favor," Yuka told Rei, who was unable to manager her concentration at the moment.

"Favor?"

"_Hai..._ there is still some unfinished business between Kamui and me," Yuka told Rei, her hand trembling as she held onto her martini glass. "I need you to stay away."

_"It took me a long time to find you in this small ballroom..."_

Kamui's voice echoed happily on Rei's DoCoMo, ironically against the aura she saw that surrounded Yuka. The dark seemed to surround her and her red lips, perfectly chisteled with lipstick, continue to plead. "Please stay away from him, Hino-sama..."

_"Are you trying to be as elusive as always?"_

Kamui laughed. He had meant that as a joke. Rei did one step back as she saw Yuka's face changing. "This is your last chance," Yuka threatened, smiling deviously.

_"Why do you always make it difficult for me to find you?"_

"You can't tell me what to do... Yuka..."

Yuka had expected this answer, and forced a smile as an acceptance to her challenge.

The events after this had been extremely fast for Rei to have noticed, a sign that she knew later that her powers in percepting evil was failing. As the glass and silverware cracked and fell, the echoes of what she had last said to Yuka echoed to everybody -- her father, Kagura, Kaidou... She could remember that some of the food exploded like a fountain, Yuka's ammunition of war. And everything then came to a standstill. The trayload of food and beverage that fell had stuck to her clothes, reaching almost to her neck and arms. On the projector in that ballroom were photos of the other day's incident where she was held by those thugs, her hair pulled and her hands pinned.

There were some gasps in the room. What happened? Isn't that Hino-dono's child? Was she involved in drugs?

Yuka, of course, had slipped away from her in style. The impact was just tremendous and Rei had heard her father giving furious orders of cutting the show on that projector.

* * *

_Junichi. Hachigatsu. (August 10th)_

"If I could only have you... there is no better memory..." Minako spoke with a low tone, as this was the line of the leading man in their play. She had probably memorised all of the lines, especially this act, her favorite part.

It had now become her favorite past time -- to sneak into the theatre at 11 pm when everybody had gone home after rehearsing. It was a wonderful break for such a hard day's work, especially today, when she had just finished the 3rd setup with the _omi-ai_. The date had been a disaster the moment he had figured out that she wasn't rich.

_"Eeto..."_ Minako hated recalling those dates. Now she had forgotten the next lines in her own mini-monologue of her own _takarazuka_ theater! Why couldn't she just stop going to the _omi-ai? _There was just no perfect match for her! And she just had to face the fact that life would be eaiser drooling over celebrities, easier to accept that she just could not have.

"Do you need any help?"

_Bleep._ Did she just do that? Kenta's modulated voice overpowered the room that when she realised that it was only Kenta and herself... on that stage? It was just...

"Aino-san?" Kenta was only a step away, looking into her star struck eyes wondering if she was still... conscious. "Aino-san? I was asking if you need any help?"

"Eh?" Minako laughed. "It is just for fun... to practise these lines. I thought you had gone home... Kenta-san?"

"Actually, I stayed all night practising my line. The director said I need to internalise it more." He showed her the papers of script he was holding. "I guess, I would like to ask for your help instead."

"My help?"

"_Haii..._ This is the most important act of this play. This is the turning point! The climax, the--"

"-- the part that the audience will remember the most," Minako said softly, distracting herself by rubbing the spot on the floor with her sneakers.

"_H-haii... _so will you help me?"

How could she refuse anything from Kenta-chan especially when he needed her professional help? "Of course!" Minako coughed.

_ACT 6. TAKE 1._

"The tides of time are coming upon us," Kenta's voice modulated softly, putting both his hands on his forehead as a sign of desperation and his fight for a final glimmer of hope as he sweetly spoke to his beloved. "And the time for us is fleeting ... creeping... ever so fast..."

"..."

"Ever so fast..."

"..."

"_Heh...Gomene!" _Minako blushed and grinned, signaling a peace sign with her fingers. "I thought we were going to start at the climax!"

Kenta coughed. "This IS... the climax."

_ACT 6. TAKE 2._

"The tides of time are coming upon us," Kenta's voice modulated softly, putting both his hands on his forehead as a sign of desperation and his fight for a final glimmer of hope as he sweetly spoke to his beloved. "And the time for us is fleeting ... creeping... ever so fast..."

"It is my fault..." Minako anguished in despair, feeling the back of her palm to her forehead. "I should have come by when you asked me to. I should have noticed every little gesture you made, no matter how little! No, no... it is my fault. I was not there when you needed me. I was not there when you sent for me."

"_Anooo..."_

"I have missed every opportunity to be with you and it was too late... now you have blossomed to be a woman of the world!"

"Aino-san..."

Minako continued to cry in anguish as she fell to the floor and banged on it for impact.

"Aino-san!"

"_Nani?"_

_"_I think you already spoke my lines."

_ACT 6. TAKE 3._

"The tides of time are coming upon us," Kenta's voice modulated softly, putting both his hands on his forehead as a sign of desperation and his fight for a final glimmer of hope as he sweetly spoke to his beloved. "And the time for us is fleeting ... creeping... ever so fast..."

"It is my fault...I should have come by when you asked me to. I should have noticed every little gesture you made, no matter how little! "

"No, no... it is my fault. I was not there when you needed me. I was not there when you sent for me!" Kenta walked further closer to Minako whose back was already turned. He then put his right arm around her chest, trying to feel the anguish and pain that welled inside of her and understanding the weight of the world that was...

"Kenta-san? Is this..." Minako interrupted, hoping that Kenta could not feel the fast and rumbling palpitations in her heart. "Is this umm... part of this act?"

"_Eeto..._" Kenta immediately removed his hand from her and breezed through his script. "It says her, "Hug her and feel the anguish inside her."

"_Sou desu ne..._ I'm glad they made the script to be very specific, don't you think? _"_

_ACT 6. TAKE 4._

"The tides of time are coming upon us! And the time for us is fleeting ... creeping... ever so fast..."

"It is my fault...I should have come by when you asked me to. I should have noticed every little gesture you made, no matter how little! "

"No, no... it is my fault. I was not there when you needed me. I was not there when you sent for me! I have missed every opportunity to be with you and it was too late... now you have blossomed to be a woman of the world!"

"You may have missed those times, but it is not too late." She then held his hand and caressed it on her cheek. "I am still here. This is still our moment. Wouldn't you have loved to see it?"

"If I could only have you... there is no better memory..."

You could hear a pin drop at this time for Kenta had mastered the moment so well, and Minako... well, she wanted to master all of him. Kenta-san... he would never need an _omi-ai_ to find his match. Everything would go through well with him, whoever he chose, and she would be the luckiest woman on Earth. Kenta leaned further and further towards her. She could hear the soft breath he exhaled and could smell his after shave. This was not Kenta. This was the leading man in the play, who had fully internalized his part. And here, he wanted her... the woman he loved... in the play.

It was all professional. She could be professional. She wanted to be an actress. Even if it meant losing yourself once in a while so that you could make this moment yours even if it was written.

"I suppose you haven't read the next part, haven't you?"

"_Nani?"_ Minako opened her eyes. _I thought he was going to --_

"It says here, 'Kiss her as if it were the last.'"

Just like that, she had Kenta back -- the one who would say things as they were and not the flowery words that she would have liked to hear. The Kenta who played the part of a man who took every embrace and kiss as if it were all up to him. Because Kenta... Kenta was the type who ... had the chance to take advantage of kissing a (very pretty) stage hand like her but didn't.

"_Gomen ..._ I didn't know about that part..." Minako hid her lie with a huge grin. "You want to practice from the top again?"

"We could... but would you feel uncomfotable if we did this part?"

_The kissing part? Are you kidding? Kissing Kenta-chan is like a dream come true! Okay... at least one of those dreams! _"It is... a bit," Minako lied again.

"_Sou ka na..._" Kenta sighed. "Well, then... you've been a great help, Aino-san. _Domo arigatou gozaimasu._"

_Tell me I'm overreacting! It's just a simple scene! Plead with me! You need to practice more! _"No problem, Kenta-san," she simply answered. "Anytime you need me."

Kenta bowed in gratitude and proceeded towards the door. He gave her a short wave before he exited, closed the door tight and banged the wall next to it with a heavy sigh of disappointment. _Baka..._ Why did he always utter the wrong words? Kenta pressed his palm on the door for a little while but did not pursue the urge to push it and enter the stage again.

_Maybe... she wanted to practice the lines on her own. _

Minako knelt on her knees on the stage, the moment of Kenta-chan leaning closer and still kept playing in her thoughts, so she had to sit down and calm her heart from all that kept excitement. Kenta-chan was so unlike the character he played, never saying such flowery words that she would have liked to hear. He is very straightforward and incredibly legalistic, but that is what professional actors do.

_He is so amazing._

And she would rather have known him that way.

* * *

_Juunichi. Hachigatsu. (August 10th)_

Phobos and Deimos understood immediately that their princess was in grave danger, unlike any other _youma_ or _daemon_. One that they cannot easily contend with, so they watched over here whenever she returned to Hikawa Jinja. And worried because Rei was not eating well and had stopped reading the newspapers again, especially when they saw a picture of her with her furiously wrecked black dress from the former ambassador Tominaga's party. And after seeing that, they saw her burn it with the flame that came from her hands, power that she had not used since the time of Sailor Cosmos's peace.

Rei stayed in her favorite room with the Sacred Fire as her only company. Her two guardians kept watch by her side and did not understand what their princess wanted to seek. She knew she was very strong and that their sworn duty was to give her warnings of any danger they had sensed. So when they show the shadow of what seemed like a former enemy, they immediately alerted her with their cries. But Phobos and Deimos could not understand why is it that seeing Kamui now by the door of the Meditation Room gave them some comfort.

Of course, their power to sense evil is not as great as their princess, who did not even turn around when she heard his footsteps.

Kamui puffed a smoke from his cigarette, assuming that today could be his last. He certainly braved the odds of beating by Rei Hino's ravens. Standing by the door's entrance to keep his distance, he called her and disrupted her meditation.

"Please ask him to leave," Rei instructed her guardians, still without looking back at him.

But they did not move, much to Kamui's surprise that the ravens were actually on his side so he took it as a good sign to move forward ... about five small steps.

"You haven't answered any of my calls, Rei-san," Kamui said, boldly moving an extra step.

_Rin, pyou, kyou..._

"Have you read the papers? They said you were probably involved in drugs or associated with the Yakuza," Kamui laughed.

_Shai... kai... zen..._ _He is seeking his own death._

"Only one paper said that they last saw you talk to Yuuka before that incident," Kamui said in a jeer. "Can you believe that they cannot get their facts straight?"

"Please leave, Kamui-san..."

"So you know what I did?" Kamui continued, inching in closer to her, feeling the burning heat of the Sacred Fire on his cheeks. "I called that paper and I explained everything. The _Asahi Shimbun_ is the most respected one so the other papers like _Mainichi_ soon followed."

And with that, he threw the pages of the newspaper at her side and Deimos, her guardian, easily dodged. The feathers of her guardian fell on the side where a photo of her talking to Yuuka Tominaga was placed and beside it, a photo of her in her black dress dredged with food. The caption below it said "Ambassador's daughter's unruly behavior" and below it, was a detailed explanation of a staged event -- both in the Ambassador's retirement party and the attack by unknown delinquents on her the week before.

Rei, being herself, was too proud to look back at Kamui. Especially too proud because the tears that fell on her cheek reading that final sentence were too warm and they just cannot stop falling, however hard she tried. Her mind was filled with a lot of things -- treachery, hate, revenge, betrayal... Because Kamui stood there when Yuka slipped away and the last scene she saw was the part where she stood proudly beside him. It is only guilt that brought him to use his influence and change her reputation on those newspapers.

_Koroshite..._ _He did not have to. _But even at this time, she was defeated even by her own tears and had no choice but to sob in front of him. Rei considered it a really pathetic moment to cry in front of someone, just because he had sided with his old fiancee. And what was worse was that Kamui thought the very same thing.

He stood behind her and was afraid to go beyond Phobos and Deimos and to their princess. First of all, and instinctively, what Kamui wanted to do was to go down on his knees and place his arms around her... to tell her to stop crying. But he has to be the pragmatic one in this _relationship_ or else, nobody would do anything productive.

The first thing he learned from his father was to let women cry, because "it is what they do." Even though the first instinct of a man is to shield her, that would have only solved the situation at the moment. So Kamui stepped back and waited a minute... the longest one. But she still did not stop even after that minute.

And he just couldn't take it any longer.

"_Baka! _No wife of mine would just sit and cry if a simple crisis like that happened!" Kamui said forcefully, stomping on the floor and alarming both ravens who took this as first warning to attack.

"_Nani?"_ Rei asked, confused, quickly wiping her tears before she turned to finally look at him. _Did he say "wife"?_

And when he finally saw her, with those forlorn and tear-drenched eyes, the more it irritated him. "It is a very small matter to be depressed at, Rei-san!" Kamui answered. "Why must you have to stay here and sulk for so long?"

"_Nani?"_ She asked, fuming at the accusation. "Why did you just stand there with _Yuka _and do nothing?"

This was the only time Kamui understood what the tears were for. So he was wrong. What he took as a sign of cowardice from the woman he expected to be such a fighter, turned out to be ... something else. _So she really does like me. Like me enough for this to matter._ By this time, he was smiling already which Rei found really, really arrogant and it pissed her off all the more.

"_Gomen nasai..."_ he apologized. "I was waiting... expecting for you to do something."

Rei bit her lip to stop herself from the plethora of the nastiest words possible that she was to tell him. _So he thought that ..._

"I've seen you fight Shigure's hired goons when they attacked you. I've seen you walk through the political parties among people you did not like."

"..."

"It is only Yuka, Rei-san," Kamui explained what is simply in his thoughts all week. "If you can go through all that, you can certainly beat her with one look."

_"Because you are far better than her."_

And then Rei could not talk afterwards. He was not supposed to rescue her from this one... even though she had expected him to. What is wrong? Why had she been relying on him to save her too much? She was used to be doing the rescuing of innocents from demons. And she was used to doing this alone. He should not get all the credit for this, even if he said the right words all the time.

_"Baka!"_

_"Baka?"_ Kamui scratched his head.

Rei picked up the newspaper he threw at her side and walked past the line where her guardians stood -- closer to Kamui where she could say it to his face. "You really want me to take revenge?" she smiled deviously, pressing her index finger on his chest in jest.

Kamui smirked in return. He gently wiped the remnants of her tears with the back of his palm and laughed. His Rei Hino was back. "Of course not, Rei-san," he said. "This is politics and we are the good guys. We do not take revenge."

"But..." he continued, smiling deviously. "We do help them learn their lesson."

Rei laughed, much to Kamui's relief. Yuka had just begun a battle but at least Rei knew where Kamui stood. And Kamui knew something else about Rei Hino -- that she was not as impenetrable as he thought, especially now as he wiped the remaining water on her chin and cheeks. It did not bother him that he knew something else about himself -- that seeing her vulnerability increased his own vulnerability. That was how Yuka took advantage of the situation.

"This time I stepped back to let you handle it, Hino Rei-san," he whispered. "But next time, I don't think I can do that again."

He quickly leaned closer and kissed the cheek where her tears fell... before she could have the capacity to protest. But truly, Rei-san was only very grateful so she signaled a halt to her guardians regarding the situation.

But Phobos and Deimos, who heard the entire conversation, were very much touched and engrossed, to attack.

- tsuzuku - Of course... the battle with Yuka has just begun!

---------------------------------------------  
**chiisai noto:**  
Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. - This is my first pass on this fanfic. I will of course, edit it and add some stuff on it to perfect the prose and all. Like I said... this has become a shoujo drama than mahou shoujo! hehe! But I like this better than the Silver Millenium romances because it seemed more real. I also would like to continue on the magical aspect. Next time though... it will be coming! Sorry for the loooong update. I will update the next one real soon!

(I edited the dates. There is a special event in my next chapter so I need those dates! I research for all the events in Japan, you see... since Rei is totally Shinto miko and nadeshiko. (priestess and cool, Japanese beauty). My cousin thundersenshi is going to edit my tenses since... well, I'm not as OC. Thank you, thunder!


	11. 09: OBon Memories

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 9 - O-Bon Memories**

**Jisho Dictionary:  
ANOO... **(An expression) Ummm...  
**DIET** The Parliamentary Government of Japan  
**DLP PARTY ** The ruling party in Parliament. (In the manga.) Headed in this case by PM Saeki and MP Junichiro Asano, Kamui's father.  
**DoCoMo** Leading mobile phone Provider of Japan. Very nice phones!  
**EETO ... ** Well...  
**GANGURO GIRLS **Girls who tan their skin even powder them to a dark color, have blonde hair and are usually wild.  
**KAWAII **(Adjective) Cute  
**KOI ** Carp (Fish)  
**MOSHI-MOSHI **"Hello?" (Telephone greeting)  
**O-BON** The festival to honor dead ancestors/relatives. People go to the shrines and graves, and use this as a family reunion. It's a long week holiday during the summer where people also dress in yukata and have a festival.  
**OKANE **Money**  
O-JII-SAN** Grandfather  
**ONEE-CHAN ** Big Sister  
**SAKE** Japanese Wine  
**SCP PARTY ** The opposition party in Parliament. (Not in the manga but I placed this based on real events.) Headed by Ryoichi Hino, Rei's father.  
**YOSSSHI! ** Alright!

* * *

**In the Previous Chapter:  
**Soujirou Nishimura finally scores a date with Ami-chan. Minako scores a "romantic scene" with Kenta-kun... helping him practice his lines. Yuuka and Shigure plot to get total humiliation for Rei during the party of Yuuka's father, which got the attention of the press. Rei feels betrayed that Kamui did not do anything until he shows up at Hikawa Jinja, carrying newspapers that clear Rei's name and show the real culprit of the chaos at the party -- Yuuka.

(Remember: Kamui Asano Jadeite; Kenta Maeda Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

* * *

_Jurokunichi. Hachigatsu. (August 15th) - O-Bon _

"Asano-dono is asking that you hurry up because your father and mother are already waiting in the car. I believe his exact words were, 'Tell my son to get his ass in the car or I will go do that myself.'"

The younger Asano looked up and saw his reflection on Nishida's shades. "He's always wanted to say that, hasn't he?" Kamui smiled, remembering that his father told him he could never say things like that in the public.

Nishida grinned and nodded. He waved his hand ordering the other bodyguard to carry the remaining suitcase and stomped his feet on the wooden floor, signaling for the younger Asano to hurry up in dressing himself.

"Tell my father that the dead will not mind if we are late," Kamui told him, changing the tunes on his discman.

"_O-bon_ is not really for the dead, you know. It is only an excuse for those who are living to have a holiday in the summer," Nishida said in monotone. "And my real boss, the next prime minister of Japan, is giving me an order and I just do it."

And with that, Nishida adjusted his jacket and grabbed Kamui's shirt to drag him to the door.

Kamui laughed as he was dragged. "You win, Nishida! You know I'm not going to fight you!"

"That's a risk I take everyday," Nishida said, still dragging Kamui down the stairs. "I am sure that this rebellion has to do with my report that _she's _going to the province for _O-bon_." Nishida cannot understand how he was not able to resist telling Kamui Asano, but it seemed Waseda was a good law school to have taught Kamui to be a good interrogator.

"You don't understand, Nishida. I'm not thinking of marrying her. I just need to know where she is!"

"_Aho..._I can't let shallow things such as the Asano's rival's daughter get in the way of a family reunion."

* * *

_Jurokunichi. Hachigatsu. (August 15th)  
_  
The daughter of the Asano's rival clan was indeed in the province, dressed in a _yuukata_ of summer's patterns. She placed her palm over her eyes to shield them from the sun. On one hand, she was holding her red DoCoMo, and "hardly expecting" it to ring since, she justified, that it was _O-Bon_. _He _should definitely be as busy as she is... as well as the rest of Tokyo.

"Don't wander off too far," Kagura Ono commanded her as if she was the lady of the Hino clan. "Your father has assigned someone to watch over you."

Of course, Kagura Ono had no right to tell Rei Hino what to do. As this Ono was proudly sipping _sake_ with the rest of the Hino clan, her father seemed to be completely uneasy being at the provincial shrine that had the grave of her mother. Her _ojii-san_ was still at Hikawa Jinja, too old to travel and preferred to honor his daughter there instead. Rei's _ojii-san_ persuaded her to come with her father and Kagura to the province to celebrate _O-bon, _which was highly unusual, since it seemed that even in these long holidays all her life, her father had always been too busy to visit her mother's grave. But this time was different. The SCP Party wanted to elevate Hino-dono's standing as the next prime minister. And if he were to face against a charismatic family man such as Junichiro Asano, Ryoichi Hino should be at no other place during _O-bon_ but by his daughter's side.

But unfortunately for Rei's _ojii-san_, there would be no bonding session between father and daughter as he had hoped. The celebration during _O-bon_ would be as political as the Diet Parliament and just like every year, she would be honoring her mother by herself.

Slipping by unnoticed, even in her brightly printed yuukata, Rei was able to reach the outer courtyard of the provincial shrine where the games for _O-bon_ were held. The bright lanterns pointed to the areas where children played with their parents in catching _koi_ with paper nets. She had always wondered how that felt like. She knew how to play those games, but only with Minako and Usagi, never during _O-bon_ with her parents.

In the midst of the crowd, she noticed a young girl about five years old, dressed in a brilliant orange and red yuukata, crying.

"_Kawaii..."_ Rei whispered. The little girl's hair was tied in small braids wrapped in a bun and a big orange ribbon. She stood out from the crowd and greatly resembled someone she knew ... Who was it that she resembled? The little child was still crying, so haplessly ignored by people too engrossed with troubles of their own children, that Rei felt sorry for this one.

"_Anoo..._ are you lost?" Rei asked, kneeling down by the child's side.

The child stopped crying, looked up and nodded. "I want to play with the _koi_..." the child sniffed, her eyes brightening a little. "Can you play with me, _onee-chan?_"

Rei searched into her purse, looking for a few coins. "_Hai!_" Rei smiled happily.

The child immediately grabbed her hand and dragged her to the games. _"Okane! Okane!"_ the child cheerfully shouted, pointing at the _koi_. Her tears immediately disappeared at the sight of the paper nets given to her and dragging Rei's hand, she squeezed into a place for them in the midst of all other parents and children to catch _koi_.

"_Yossssh_! I am better than you, _onee-chan!_" the little girl laughed.

Rei laughed as well, enjoying catching _koi_ even after spending many coins on broken paper nets. "Why are you alone, little girl?" Rei asked. "Where is your _papa _and _mama_?"

"They're always gone!" the little girl sniffed, wiping her nose and concentrating on the _koi_. "Your paper net is broken again, _onee-chan!_" The child laughed again.

Rei handed another coin for another paper net. "You're so _kawaii..._" Rei told her. "You look very much like..."

Rei was unable to finish her sentence and felt a tug on her yuukata. The paper net she was holding was again broken as the _koi _jumped right inside. "Hino-san..." Kaidou approached her sternly. "We must go now."

"_Eh?"_ Rei asked, wondering how he seemed to appear from nowhere.

"We must go now," Kaidou repeated.

"_Ahhh..._Papa!" the young girl with her shouted as she faced Kaidou. "_Onee-chan_ and I are still playing!"

"Risa-chan, you stay here for awhile," Kaidou commanded. Rei's eyes widened in surprise at the revelation.

"But Papa!" Risa-chan pouted. "I want to play with _Onee-chan!_"

"Risa-chan."

To that, Risa-chan was silent, knowing what that stern mention of her name meant.

"Risa-chan..." Rei gently told her. "I will just talk for a little while with your _papa_. I will be back. Please catch _koi _for me because you are better than I am." She then handed the paper net to Risa, who pouted nonetheless that she was going.

Kaidou didn't seem to be the gentleman that he usually was, especially in front of his own daughter. He dragged Rei away from the crowds by the sleeve of her yuukata and out on the courtyard. Looking really stern, he said, "Let us go back to your father."

"You are the one Kagura sent to watch me," Rei told him, her eyes narrowing to a frown upon this realisation.

"Your father wants to speak with you, Hino-san."

"Go back and tell him that I will be with him shortly," she said stubbornly.

"He needs you now, Rei-san. He--"

"Who is going to watch over Risa-chan?"

Kaidou had mouthed some words without sound, as his mind floated on the thought of loyalty first to Ryoichi Hino and bringing his daughter back. But his eyes had keenly spotted a familiar figure coming into the courtyard that would be the answer to that problem.

"Her mother," Kaidou answered, sighing, with a look of disappointment on his face.

"Risa-chan!"

Rei looked back to follow where Kaidou left his sad gaze behind her, to the voice that called his daughter's name. _Hontou? _Was it the face that she saw with him six years before? It was raining a little near the Rain Tree restaurant where she found them both. She ran away from them when she later found out that the woman with him was the daughter of one of the DLP Party Members that her own father introduced to Kaidou.

_"Your father... Hino-dono... introduced us together. I am just obeying his wishes." Kaidou had said this when he went that same afternoon to see her in Hikawa Jinja, six years ago. She was fourteen._

_"You think that I am only a child," she said under the rain. "But if you wanted to be my father's successor, then all you have to do is to marry me!" _

_And that was the only kiss that Rei had ever given to anyone. _

Her "rival" now seemed to have changed... a little. She still dressed the same, as any politician's wife -- proper and submissive. It was only a short glimpse of her, anyway, but Rei remembered that the woman Kaidou-san was with was vibrant and incredibly mature -- a good match for the serious and ambitious Kaidou-san. Or that was how Rei painted this woman in her head to justify the comparison with her. There was none of that in Risa-chan's mother though. There was no good way to describe this woman's neutral expression.

Rei listened as Kaidou's wife called to her Risa-chan one more time and the child ran to her with such eagerness. Risa-chan was so happy that she hugged her mother knees -- Risa-chan looking so _kawaii_ in her yuukata, did not look anything like her mother.

Kaidou's wife, after rejoining with her Risa-chan, began approaching her husband. And Rei's heart again went _dokun-dokun_ at the same time that she first saw them both near the Rain Tree restaurant.

"T-this is Hino Rei-san, daughter of Hino-dono." It was the first time he had heard Kaidou stutter.

"_Yoroshiku..._ " his wife curtly gave her a short bow, without even looking at her. Turning back to her husband, she quickly said, "You have left Risa-chan by herself again, so I am taking her home."

"I was just caught up by Hino-dono for a moment, but it will not happen again." Kaidou quickly explained. "She is enjoying her time here with Rei-san."

The lady Kaidou clung tightly to her daughter's hand and took a glance at Rei. She was trying to look civil, with looks so deadpan that she was making this cold moment for Kaidou-san legendary. "I'm going to my sister's house in Osaka and I'm taking Risa-chan with me," she announced firmly.

"No, no... the festival is still starting," Kaidou-san insisted. "Risa-chan has not yet seen everything."

"The car is waiting outside ," Risa-chan's mother also insisted ... sternly, already knowing what was going to be said. "If your schedule is clear, you can still follow us there."

It was only then that Rei understood the sad gaze that Kaidou had when he saw Risa-chan's mother. Risa-chan, clutching her mother's hand, did not even notice her own father's lonely disposition of her being taken away from him. Instead, Risa-chan was looking at Rei, grinning happily and proudly holding three paper nets, being very grateful at her _onee-chan_.

This familiar scene happening in the midst of happy children playing paper nets with their parents disgusted Rei Hino. Kaidou-san's attempts at stopping both of them from leaving were very poor. He did not even make any attempt to approach his daughter to even give a proper goodbye.

_"I do not want to get married and have children," Rei said this on her thirteenth birthday to Kaidou, who treated her to dinner in her father's absence. "I do not want to raise up children just to bring grief to them."_

_"Me, too," Kaidou replied. "I do not wish to have children."_

_Rei sighed and smiled. "We are kindred spirits."_

"You could still go and catch Risa-chan, you know..." Rei murmured.

He had given up. He could not distinguish Risa-chan's brightly colored yuukata in the crowd anymore. "We have to go to your father," Kaidou-san said, ignoring that last remark.

_"Tell him that the dead would not mind if we are late." _

Kaidou-san adjusted the glasses on his face, smiling with this remark and shaking his head. "This sounds important. I am just obeying your father," he said, looking back at the place where his daughter had been.

Rei took his hand and placed a paper net on his palm. "You still are," she smiled. "Just tell him we will be with him shortly."

* * *

_Jurokunichi. Hachigatsu. (August 15th) -- only 20 minutes outside of Tokyo_

Only Nishida could stop Kamui from going back to Tokyo, or even from traveling to as far away as the opposite direction where the Hino clan was celebrating _O-bon_, from staying in Kitawa Jinja. It wasn't that Kamui could not stop Nishida also. It would only be a matter of a few beers and his "escape plan." (He prided himself in being able to escape from the class of the notorious Sawada-sensei, still alive and who was even his father's _sensei_ before him -- something that not even Sanjou-kun could think of when they were in high school.) He could do this easily.

But Nishida was bent in keeping the whole Asano clan together on this one important event so he told Kamui's mother of her son's secret plan. And Akiko Asano, gentle and reserved as she was in front of the press, dealt her iron hand in making sure that the entire family was together during the holidays... just like the wife of a _daimyo_.

"Why are you so anxious, my son?" Kamui's mother asked him, batting her lashes and tightly clutching on to his arm so he wouldn't be able to go anywhere. "You should be very happy! Tominaga-dono and his daughter are here as well!"

Well, not even his father, the next most powerful man in Japan could resist his mother's favor. The Tominaga was the reason he wanted to skip _O-bon_ altogether! He had spotted Yuuka from afar, noticing the pattern on the yuukata she wore. It was his gift to her from the Asano clan. Her hair was tied in a peach bun ... and her make-up melting along under the sun with the smooth and likeable features that remained in her face.

How Yuuka found a way to use what remained of her father's political clout with the Asano clan was something Kamui could not figure out. He now realised that she was _this_ desperate. Maybe other men like Shigure or Soujirou would bask in this moment of being chased.

Making the best of every good opportunity, Kamui managed the skill done by his own father and greeted all of his relatives and the Tominaga in just twenty minutes. The good opportunity came in the form of _Kin_, the beer that his friend Kenta endorsed on television. He was able to have three of them in less than twenty minutes.

"I thought I would find you here," Yuuka said seductively, sipping her own beer.

"Of course. That is my grandfather's grave over there," Kamui answered, looking away. "Where is your dead grandfather?"

Yuuka laughed. "In Yasukuni Jinja," she said, smiling. (Despite the fact that the Yasukuni Jinja was a place for WWII dead, including convicted criminals.) "But that place has been very controversial in international news lately so my father had to avoid it, even if he is not the ambassador anymore."

"Your father is correct. It would be more profitable to be here with my the next prime minister in Japan instead."

This time, Yuuka's grin had vanished and she gave Kamui a disdainful look. "Why can't you say it directly to my father himself?" she threatened.

"For you, Yuuka..." Kamui replied, his face looking as stern. He had already taken two steps towards where the entire party including his own parents and Tominaga-dono stood but Yuuka had (as he predicted) stopped him.

"_Gomen nasai_, Kamui-kun," Yuuka apologised, trying to meet his eyes. "This is about Shigure and I, isn't it?"

Kamui almost coughed and spit on the beer he was sipping. "_Nani?"_

"Shigure and I... you have not forgiven me for cheating on you with him!" Yuuka explained, desperately clinging on to his yuukata. "And I keep telling you Kamui-chan... it is over! I thought it would help that I go to America for you to heal and I came back for you!"

"I am ready to marry you now, Kamui-chan..." she told him happily, tears almost welling in her eyes. "I am ready ... to become your wife..."

The sight of the beautiful Yuuka holding on to him replaced his very serious disposition into a softer one. Kamui's began to smile, one that had the corner of his mouth arch upwards in contentment to hear those very words. Yuuka was not without her wiles. She still knew the words that would make him listen.

And almost tearily in his eyes also as were hers, he held on to both her arms and said, "I do not care at all about that, Yuuka."

Yuuka gasped in disappointment, weakening her grasp on Kamui's yuukata.

"Not at all," Kamui repeated. He gently released her hands from his yuukata and very slowly pushed her away the weight leaning on him.

"In my head, I remember that scene of you and Shigure as a good memory," he said, still smiling. "Without you, I would never have learned not to mistake love for infatuation--"

"..."

"Nor to mistake beauty for character."

"Kamui..."

"And to carefully choose the most profitable and trustworthy allies."

There were two things that Yuuka could not bear at that time that he spoke -- the fact that he had given up on her and the fact that Kamui had smiled all throughout that statement. She searched his eyes to see if Kamui had only put on his political face to deceive her into saying those words. But Kamui did not even flinch after saying them and continued to look at her intently.

She knew this look... it was one that was rousing her for a good answer. Kamui was waiting and challenging her!

"Isn't it great... that we both surpassed the biggest lessons in love?" Yuuka smiled.

_Mattaku... Can't this woman ever stop watching the dramas on television? _His frankness was already bordering on brutal with her father just a few meters away. And to no avail. Kamui chose to look far away to choose a better view instead.

And Yuuka was not used to being ignored. She took the effort of being under the hot summer sun just to have this opportunity of being alone with Kamui and to get him back. Hasn't she apologised enough? Didn't all of what she did mean anything to him?

"Very well then, Kamui-kun... you know that this is not only about what happened to us. There is something much more."

Yuuka leaned close to him. "We were compatible from the start...from the day your father introduced us. I was the best out of all of them. My family is known throughout all of Japan. I have the best connections to help you in your campaign and among them..."

Her glistening teary eyes twinkled. "... I am the most beautiful. I can give you good children."

The sound of his own DoCoMo mobile phone ringing stopped Kamui from saying anything better. It flashed an image not of his own children but the steps leading to the place where two dangerous ravens just waited to eat his flesh. And he was actually amused to remember this scene in his head instead. He did not answer his phone at that moment. _She can take care of herself. _

In the short distance, he could see his father signaling for Nishida and then pointing to the former ambassador Tominaga. Aiko Asano, his mother, also began walking towards him and Yuuka, as was her cue.

"Yuuka..." Kamui's mother called gently, batting her eyelashes to look less ... coercive. It was the Tominaga's time to go to the Yasukuni Jinja and the end of the Asano's mandatory hospitality.

"Kamui-chan..." Yuuka again called desperately.

"Do not address me so... informally, Yuuka-san," he said curtly, his eyes welling to a vicious gaze at her that Yuuka became so nervous.

"_Gomen, _K-kamui..._san_?" she apologised. "You know I only have your best interests at hand. That is what I long to do always..."

"Yuuka-san?" Kamui's mother approached, calling her name once again, causing Yuuka to keep a 'polite' distance from Kamui in case his mother sensed anything.

Kamui fixed his gaze on his mother, and nodded... acknowledging that he had understood that he was to escort the Tominaga to their car. "I'll be escorting her back, _okaasan_," Kamui answered, smiling happily.

Kamui then turned to Yuuka and handed her his can of _Kin _beer. "If you must know, my father has already read the news about what you did in the _Asahi_ and _Mainichi,_" he whispered in her ear, giving a huge electric jolt down Yuuka's spine.

"Trust me... ours will not be a profitable relationship, Yuuka-san."

* * *

_Jurokunichi. Hachigatsu. (August 15th) -- Back to the Hino clan_

"Please go ahead, Kaidou-san," Rei told him, her eyes closed. "I want to stay here a little while with my _okaasan._"

Kaidou sighed and did not move from where he stood beside her. Ryoichi Hino would not have it if he went back without her. But it was a very worthwhile afternoon by her side, catching _koi_ with his daughter's paper nets and now, praying in front of Risa Hino's grave.

"Your father would not have it, _princess_... if I went back without you," Kaidou-san answered gently, bending to burn incense on Rei's mother's grave.

"Princess?"

"That is what I always thought of you since you were younger," Kaidou-san answered.

"Is it because you think I am a spoiled brat?" she asked defensively, opening her eyes to glare accusingly at him.

"No, no..." Kaidou-san laughed. "You assume too many things, Rei-san."

Rei scowled and closed her eyes to concentrate again, ignoring him.

"It is... a day of revelation, isn't it?" Kaidou-san began after a long silence. "You have seen ... my wife and daughter."

She did not open her eyes and let her lips do a soundless chanting.

"And I have seen a different side of you."

Her eyes remained closed.

"You have a warm spot inside of you, Rei-san... that I did not know of."

That gave her curiosity a tug, slightly opening her eyes while still pretending to concentrate on the incense that burned on her mother's grave.

"I always thought... that you would never trust anyone again because of your father, but today... with Risa-chan--"

"She is only a child..." Rei answered quickly. "A child that longs for..."

"Her father," Kaidou-san finished her sentence. He gave a heavy sigh and tried to look up the sky, controlling the water in his eyes. "You must have known clearly what she felt, Rei-san."

"I never longed for my father," Rei answered defensively.

Kaidou-san smiled. "Now you are back to being yourself again, Rei-san," he told her. "You have an acute sense of justice. You can never forgive those who have wronged you ... but you can only open up to the very innocent."

She kept silent.

"I guess that's how it should be, but..." Kaidou-san made sure he met her eyes. "Sometimes I wish that people would try some forgiveness. We all need it."

Long awkward silence. Rei could even hear her own breath as she sighed, staring down, looking at the finished incense that Kaidou-san had burned for her mother. She fidgeted on the pendant of her necklace--the one that her own mother wore herself and immediately remembered something.

"I also sometimes thought ... that it was not just my father's fault... that my mother had also been too weak," Rei sadly explained.

"... that she should have spoken...that she could not just take being alone... then everything would have been different."

"That if people who marry just did something--"

"--Nanako and I agreed that our lives would be very hectic than usual when we got married. Because she was also the daughter of a politician, I thought she would understand everything," Kaidou-san interrupted, walking a few steps. "But after just three years, she realised that we didn't really know one another. And it doesn't help that we rarely see each other. So she gave up.

"Nanako was unlike your mother," Kaidou-san said, smiling at Rei. "She never gave up till the end."

_Okaasan?_ _She did not...?_ The memories that rang in Rei's mind of her father just did not seem to fit with that point of view. But her last memory of her mother speaking her father's name suddenly made Rei wonder why her mother asked for him.

Kaidou-san smiled again and continued his story. "I always believed that I would never want to have children... so I could not bring grief to them."

Rei sighed upon hearing that familar line.

"But there are people who are powerful enough to change what you believe. And I have not regretted that in this case."

"Has anyone... been powerful enough to change what you believed?" Kaidou-san chided her, trying to mask his true intention in a smile.

Rei remained expressionless, blankly staring at the grave of her mother. "We let people change what we believe," she answered. "Because we grow up, Kaidou-san."

A soft summer breeze heightened the odor of the incense and it was as if it caused Kaidou-san to have a high and see everything in slow motion-- the hair lightly touching the cheeks of a child he saw six years ago that had only now transformed into a beauty that was now before him. Maybe it was right now, he was his own man and no longer compelled to declare the daughter of his master as untouchable. Or maybe it was because she said that she had changed what she believed in. Kaidou-san was mature enough to admit that Rei's answer completely disappointed him.

Rei felt her cheeks burn when Kaidou-san did not speak and that he was looking at her... differently. And maybe she had wished that was how it was six years ago but now she felt uneasy that the whole scene had turned mellow.

"_Anoo_..." she began, trying to disrupt the awkward silence.

"You can't be with Asano Kamui, Rei-san," Kaidou-san told her, cutting to the true point of his thoughts and surprising her with the sudden change in topic. "Hino-dono will not allow it."

Rei scowled, tightly gripping onto her _DoCoMo_. "My father cannot tell me who my friends can be," she said defiantly.

"Yes, he can. Especially when he becomes the next prime minister," Kaidou-san insisted. "When your life is in the _Mainichi_ and _Asahi_ newspapers almost everyday, he has to uphold the trust of the public."

"Then ask him to do as he did before... to keep me shut in Hikawa Jinja where I am not known as his daughter." Rei's voice was rising in anger. "And ask him to stop dealing in all this hypocrisy."

"Rei-san... sooner or later, they will find out. You will always be Hino-dono's daughter," Kaidou-san explained. "And fathers... always take care of the future of their daughters."

Rei shook her head. "If fathers do, then why didn't you take care of Risa-chan?"

She exhaled, breathing out all her irritation at Kaidou-san because he was more than a messenger. He became the dutiful successor of her own father, right down to breaking his pledge of giving grief to their children.

"This is why I don't like politics, Kaidou-san," she complained. "You always say you're taking care of the greater good of everyone but you hurt those closest to you."

Kaidou-san did not offer a counterargument because he knew he deserved that one. Right now, the face of his own daughter flashed before his eyes. But because he preferred to look away instead of facing her, Rei could not see that Kaidou-san was missing his Risa-chan.

"I had once aspired to be like Hino-dono and I was very proud that he had chosen me to walk in his path," he simply answered. "I was dead set in my goal to achieve my ambition of serving Japan to the end, until I had a daughter. From then on, everything had changed. Every choice I made always involved a sacrifice." Kaidou-san's voice almost choked on that last sentence.

"You don't know the whole story about Hino-dono, Rei-san," he explained. "It is not my story to tell. Your father has probably refused to tell you because like you, he can be very proud and unforgiving about these things. But he also has a warm spot in his heart... just like you."

Kaidou-san paused and exhaled. "I hope it has not remained buried here with your mother."

Rei watched Kaidou-san slide his fingers on the stone slab that carried her mother's name. A warm spot in her father's heart? Rei admitted that she had never even considered it. In her eyes, her father would not have had any good in him if he had caused his own wife to die alone. But what was it in him that gave him the respect of many people -- Kaidou-san, his rival Junichiro Asano, Kamui-san... her mother?

She suddenly wanted to know. If there was anything that was good in Ryoichi Hino even at another place and time enough for Kamui-san and her mother to look up to him that way. But right now, she was too wrapped up in disappointment. She had agreed in her mind that it _was not the right time to ask_.

"Your father is waiting for you, Rei-san..." Kaidou-san finally broke the silence. "We must go." And with that, Kaidou-san began to walk up the steps leading to where Hino-dono and Ono-san was waiting. He was only up a couple of steps when he stopped and looked back at her.

"Remember everything I said, Rei-san, and most of all..." Kaidou-san raised his paper net and smiled. "_Arigatou..."_

He wished she had heard it and that she accepted it. Kaidou-san really was grateful. So he continued up the steps alone and let her by herself for awhile.

* * *

_Jurokunichi. Hachigatsu. (August 15th) -- within Tokyo_

"Ahhh... it is BLISS to stay in Tokyo during _O-Bon_..." Sanjounin Masato happily proclaimed, all splattered on the sofa of Makoto's apartment.

"_Haii..._ even Minako went with her family to celebrate _O-bon_," Makoto said, hands on waist and one holding a feather duster. "My friends and I usually celebrate _O-bon_ together. But now everybody became traditional and went to the provincial shrines with their families."

"I usually go with Kamui and play the _koto_ for the festival, but I decided to create a new tradition," Sanjounin winked. "I want to celebrate it with my _girlfriend_."

"Girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend." Sanjounin affirmed, winking once again.

Four or five months... how long has it been since the most _kawaii_ of her _koto_ playing cooking students came in and out of her apartment, taking her to see him play his "boring" guitar in various underground clubs and his very interesting and _MOTTO-MOTTO_ cool _koto_? There had been many interesting adventures with him that she can faithfully recount, including "saving him" from a stoned gangster in a club (who she later knew as his friend Eine) and risking being eliminated by a crazy group of _ganguro_ girls in his fan club.

_Haii..._ Makoto agreed. _This relationship is indeed going somewhere._

"I want to have more of these traditions, Mako," Sanjounin happily announced again, now sitting on the sofa to look at her dusting the table, her haired tied in place with a bandanna and her face fully flushed from all that dusting, making her sneeze often. _Utsukushii..._

"Yes you can, Sanjou-_kun_..." Makoto answered, dusting the dirt under the center table. "But I don't think Tokyo will be this quiet again in the next holiday."

"Actually, I wasn't thinking only of holidays..." Sanjounin said, smirking.

"Really?_"_ Makoto smiled.

"I was thinking of spending _everyday_ with my _girlfriend_..."

Makoto cheeks turned even more pink.

"I want to spend everyday with you, Makoto."

That line sounded at first so surreal that the last syllable of him mumbling her name was like an echo. Of bells ringing and a of wind whistling...

It had always been this way with him -- one time, Sanjounin took Makoto on top of the Tokyo Tower to see the view of the lights and dreamily, she thought that he had chosen this moment to say that line... or lines very similar to that.

It didn't happen. It was forgivable anyway, because he chose that moment to talk so passionately about his _koto. _She now knew that the sound of a string instrument like that would never work atop that great a height. (+) How many girls would actually know this kind of information from their "boyfriends"?

And now hearing this from him while dusting underneath the center table? Makoto could not understand how real straight men would think. She just didn't know how Sanjounin visualized her. He always chose the most opportune time such as when she looked harassed after cooking grilled beef and smelled like cooking oil to say that she was beautiful. How could she have been stunning at that moment?

Sanjounin was very strange that way.

"That would be... great" she mumbled, her eyes twinkling and not knowing what to say now that shed heard that compliment. "But won't your _ganguro_ fans attack me more if they find out I am spending most of the time with SanjouMasa?" Makoto chided, smiling.

"No need to worry about that!" Sanjounin smiled. "If we're living in the same house anyway, I can always protect you."

The dusting stopped. _He was serious? _Makoto peered from under the table and gave him a quizzed look. "You can?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. She was the one who saved him from a drunken thug (Eine) last time.

"That is what I mean by spending everyday together," Sanjounin replied. No winks or smirks. He was _really _serious.

"Stay in one apartment...?" Makoto asked once again, standing up and looking straight at him.

"_Haii..._" Sanjounin confirmed. "Your place is small so I was thinking that we stay in my apartment."

Suddenly, that line didn't sound so good anymore. Many times, Sanjounin went to her apartment and she never returned to his. BUT she had a very vivid memory of the mess. That place was actually bigger than hers?

"What is wrong with my apartment?" Makoto asked.

"It is small. My instruments would not fit here."

His instruments! She forgot about that. That place actually needed her own instruments! Her mop, her vacuum cleaner... _Masaka!_ How could anyone live in there? It would even be appalling just to --

"--Makoto..." Sanjounin called, snapping the thought bubble in Makoto's head. "Are you alright?"

"_Haii..._" she answered wearily.

"I never thought that these things would shock you."

Makoto had been grinning. Of course, these things would shock her. She wondered why it didn't shock him. It was a messy apartment!

"_Demoo..._" Makoto began, trying to pop the thoughts in her head so she could concentrate. "Sanjou-kun... it's not that I don't want to see you but... don't you think it's too soon?

Makoto saw that he had heard but Sanjounin had not even flinched in his seat. He remained seated there with this naive little smile, happily expecting her to be happy that he wanted to move in with her... _for goodness' sake!_

"I mean..." Makoto gritted her teeth and tried to remain calm. "Don't you know that doing this is actually a big step?"

"You mean moving all your stuff to my apartment? It will only take two days."

"Sanjou-kun..." Makoto sighed, resting wearily on her knees now, not knowing what to say next. She didn't want to drown his enthusiasm but she still wasn't used to his spontaneity. Especially things of this magnitude.

"Sanjou-kun... don't get this the wrong way..." she said wearily. "Things happening when we're together are usually very strange to me." (Images of the episode where she mistook his friend Eine as a drunken thug who tried to make a pass at her.)

It's actually been quite some time since I've had someone who was as close to me as you are but... I like it when you're _here_. I even like it when you leave many things here so I always know that you'll come back. And I hope that you'll always come back..."

"But..." Makoto's eyes glistened. "I don't think that it's time for me to stay in your apartment." (_Or I can't believe anyone can._)

Sanjounin in the meantime, was masking his amusement because really... he was not as dense as she thought. One thing that Sanjounin was sure of, he was not testing her in this one because he was very serious. Sanjounin could count the times that he was truly serious.

He was going there almost every other day anyway aside from the days that he wanted to be completely alone to practice with his instruments. (The days where no man, woman, child or Eine could not bother him in his solitary moments with his contra-bass, for example.) He also brought most of his groceries there so he can cook it then eat it there.

And he really, more than ever, simply realised that it was all because he wanted to see his girlfriend, the _sensei_ of cooking that could actually ... _resist_ him.

"Makoto..." Sanjounin said in a low, comforting voice, reaching out to touch her hand. "I understand what you mean and I respect your choice... but I can't accept all of it."

"Eh?" Makoto's mouth was agape.

"I told you before... I want to spend everyday with you. And I will see to it that it will happen."

* * *

_Jurokunichi. Hachigatsu. (August 15th) and the couple of days after -- You are Eavesdropping_

_"Moshi-moshi...? Hel--- I am c--l--ng-- fr--"_

_"Hello?"_

_"Kamui-san! I w-- t-ld th----..."_

_"Nani? I can't hear you!"_

CLICK.

_"Moshi-moshi... Kamui-san?"_

_"You have called me, Rei-san." _cough

_"Your line was cut earlier."_

_"Yes, it was. Are you busy right now?"_

_"My father has been calling me but I am still here ... with my mother."_

_"I'm going to call you later."_

_"... It's okay...I am done..."_

_"Sou ka ... "_

_"Haii..."_

_"You are wondering about something."_

_"I keep imagining what my mother was like when she was alive and how she was with my father. I used to think that she was weak for letting my father be like that. But I was told... that it was because she didn't give up."_

_"Sou ka..."_

_"But I just can't picture it. I don't understand why people marry and bear children and then choose to forget that they exist."_

A sigh._ "You can't picture it. You have to be part of it."_

_"Part of it?"_

_"The major choices we make involve a lot of sacrifice. I am sure that with the many achievements for this country that Hino-dono has done, he had more sacrifices to make than most people. If your mother didn't give up till the end, she must be the one who understood him the most and chose to remain stronger in the end."_

_"..."_

_"You probably still don't understand, Rei-san. The only way to understand is to be in your mother's shoes."_

_"That is..."_

_"You are just too afraid to explore the things you don't know about."_

A huff._ "Politics is a dirty business. Just now, all of the parties are involved in replacing Prime Minister Saeki with all possible means, even airing out his involvement with a 'lady friend' just to change his reputation."_

_"How do you know about that?"_

_"I read the newspapers."_

_"... Really? ... You read the newspapers? ... The ones today?"_

Another huff. _"That is not important. I am saying that I know about politics and how my father was involved in it. Lately I have experienced the events --"_

_"-- You have only been to these events for the past three months. That is just a second of what your mother has gone through."_

Long pause. _"It is enough."_

_"It is not enough. If you can't be fair to your father, you can at least be fair to your mother."_

Another long pause. _"Gomen... I have to go..."_

_"Wait, Rei-san! I want to talk to you."_

_"I have to--"_

_"I want to talk to you because I just want to. I never said that being in politics is easy. I am here because of the Asano's honor and because I never back down from a good challenge. But lately, I hate to experience the low parts such as arranging my marriage."_

A huff. She is still on the line.

_"My father has taken it his role to be my own matchmaker to make alliances as though we are still in the feudal era. I've had different fiancees almost every year, all of them were beautiful and from good families. But I didn't like any of them... except for Yuuka."_

_"Yuuka?" _cough

_"That was what I thought. But I can't trust anyone who is not loyal. A broken alliance is a broken alliance."_

_"..."_

_"I think this is why I want to be near you always, Rei-san. There aren't a lot of people who understand this. I can see that there are things that only you will know... and we are the same... like we are--"_

_"--Kindred spirits."_

_"Hai."_

_"Those are dangerous words."_

A laugh. _"Like I said, I never back down from a good challenge."_

_"You're very strange." _A softer laugh.

_"I'm glad to hear you laugh... I wanted to ask you if... you've had anyone in the past that was... like I was with Yuuka."_

Long pause. A sigh. _"It was a long time ago and I was still... a child then. He used to come during my birthdays and treat me out to dinner instead of my father. He was ambi-t--us and... w--t--d to f-----w my fath--r's p---..."_

_"Rei-san?"_

_"Hai... Kamui-san?"_

_"There is something wrong with the line!"_

_"Can you hear me?"_

_"I can... do you still ... feel anything for him?"_

_"I don't know... I d--'t kn-- if I do---"_

_"Can you tell me his name?" _She can hear the faint sound of something cracking.

_"Eeto... His name? H-s n--me is ------"_

CLICK.

_"The line was cut. This is rare for something to happen in Japan! F-ck this O-Bon!"_

_"Honohouchi-san... " cough "We're glad we got you back on the line. I've finally managed to get Kaidou-dono in for three-way calling."_

_"I hope this Kaidou has some good ideas. I hear he is not very good in the Diet lately... screwing everybody with questions as to whom he is loyal."_

_"Ono-san, have Honohouchi-san's line cut. We do not need him for this call."_

_"Eeto... please, Kaidou-dono... Honohouchi-san... we need to have some sort of unity here. We need both your cooperation."_

_"Very well... I don't have much time. Hurry up then!"_

_"Hino-dono has told me that he is ready to take up the post of prime minister. With the help of your father, Honohouchi-dono, we can secure at least three more votes to outnumber Asano-dono. He has made it clear that he does not want any distractions with his campaign... especially anything to do with the Asano."_

_"You must hurry up and propose to Hino Rei, Honohouchi-dono."_

_"Propose? I've tried everything and she doesn't want to talk to me, especially with that baka Asano Kamui following her!"_

_"There is no need for that. Hino-dono has given me his permission to take Hino Rei away from Asano Kamui."_

_"He did? That's great, Kamui-dono! And I thought that he said he's going to allow Hino Rei by herself since he doesn't think Asano Kamui is a threat."_

_"Ono-san... you don't know this Asano. I have scars to prove how bad he can be since the last time Yuuka was here."_

_"Hino-dono has already given me permission. The press, especially the entertainment magazines, have taken a liking to Asano-san. Wherever he is, he is creating untoward publicity and he is dragging Hino Rei with him. I have convinced Hino-dono that even small things like this can ruin his public relations. So this means that I will do everything in my power to make sure that Hino Rei is safe from those who want to harm her... even from you... Honohouchi-san."_

_"You are accusing me? All the things I did was to get Hino-san's attention! It is you who should take care of any negative public relations against Hino-dono." _A laugh.

_"Honohouchi-dono... onegai..."_

_"It is alright, Ono-san. Honohouchi-san will have the simple task of trying to get Rei-san to marry him. Although with his record with women, I must wish him the best of luck. I will be the one... to take care of Asano Kamui."_

_"Wonderful..."_

A snicker. _"You seem to underestimate Asano Kamui. If you need help, I can always ask Yuuka."_

_"There is no need for that. If there are any drastic steps that are needed... I'll be sure to handle that myself."_

- tsuzuku -

---------------------------------------------  
**chiisai noto:**  
Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. - I've basically removed most of the Japanese terms in this chapter. The others... believe it or not... I just put them for emphasis. (You're right... I can't help but imagine my characters speak that way too.) I've also put a dictionary on top of this for you. I will get on to doing that for the other chapters later... but it's better to get on with the story, isn't it? ;; I understand that this chapter seems to have more dialogue than usual but things get revealed during O-Bon! I've discovered many things as well... such as in Japan, during a divorce, only one parent gets custody. There is no joint custody. Normally the parent who gets custody doesn't see the other again, so the child does not see the other parent as well. It's because in Japan, when you divorce, you divorce the whole family. In this case, Rei's mother and father didn't divorce. Her father actually provided child support and wanted to meet her. Something tells me her dad isn't that bad. Also, it may be a big coincidence but I just learned that the current prime minister's son, Kotaro Koizumi, is becoming an actor in showbusiness. I've found this coincidence to be astonishing for Kamui Asano... well... in my head, he must be as charismatic as his father. So that's just that. Sorry for the long update again! Trust me... the next chapter is already in my head (as is the ending) and I'm starting on it already. NOW! Kaidou-san must play an important role as in Casablanca Memories, ne? -


	12. 10: Convergence

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 10 - Convergence**

**Jisho/Dictionary:  
ANOO... : **(An expression) Ummm...  
**DLP PARTY **: The ruling party in Parliament. (In the manga.) Headed in this case by PM Saeki and MP Junichiro Asano, Kamui's father.  
**GANGURO GIRLS: **Girls who tan their skin even powder them to a dark color, have blonde hair, mini skirts and are usually wild.  
**HIMITSU: **Secret  
**KAKKOII: **Cool!  
**KOMETO COALITION: **Based on the Komeitko Coalition in real, present-day Japan. In this story, a new coalition of both the SCP and Nationalist Parties.  
**KONNICHIWA: **Good afternoon.  
**MASAKA!**: It can't be... /Oh no  
**MOTTO-MOTTO: **Very very   
**NADESHIKO:** Japanese ideal woman. Someone with the traditional trademark of long dark hair, quiet and sweet.   
**NANI:** What?  
**O-BON: **The festival to honor dead ancestors/relatives. People go to the shrines and graves, and use this as a family reunion. It's a long week holiday during the summer where people also dress in yukata and have a festival.  
**OMIAI: **A matchmaking. It's usually a friend or relative who does the matchmaking. But there are usually dating agencies facilitated by a _nakodo_ (a go-between, a matchmaker) who does this.  
**OTAKU:** A really deranged, obsessed fan.  
**SCP PARTY:** The opposition party in Parliament. (Not in the manga but I placed this based on real events.) Headed by Ryoichi Hino, Rei's father.   
**SENSHI: **Soldier/Warrior. All of them are called sailor _senshi_.  
**SHIMATTA NA...** Heavens/Goodness sakes!  
**SOU KA...** Is that so?  
**TAKARAZUKA:** An all-women theater. Women play the roles of both men and women. It's more vain than normal theater because even the women who play as men come out in glittery tuxedos and peacock feather boas.

* * *

**In the Previous Chapter:  
**It is O-Bon, a weekly summer holiday for all of Japan to honor the dead. Kamui has gone to a nearby shrine a mere twenty minutes outside of Tokyo to celebrate O-Bon with his family... with Yuuka. Rei, on the other hand, has gone to a farther shrine to her mother's grave to celebrate a rare O-Bon holiday with her father. But just like every holiday in her life, it is Kaidou-san she spends it with, and there she meets Kaidou-san's wife and daughter, Risa-chan. The other senshi have been celebrating O-Bon apart from each other. Makoto's O-Bon this time is spent with her "boyfriend", the famous SanjouMasa, who in the holidays realises that it is not enough to spend just the holidays with Makoto. Sanjounin has actually decided he wants to move in with her!

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

* * *

_Ichinichi. Nanagatsu. (September 1) - Business as usual _

The month started with the biggest news for the political elite of Tokyo. Ryoichi Hino has called in new reforms to modernise the banking system, called by the _Mainichi_ as the boldest reform of the year, which cemented an alliance with the Nationalist Party in supporting the SCP to form the _Kometo_ Coalition. Even two of the DLP's own men were impressed with this reform and bolted out of their parties to be part of the coalition. One of them was MP Hisato Kaidou. The news has been on the front page of all respected local and international news for the days after _O-Bon_.

Teruhiro Saeki, current prime minister and leader of the DLP, was critized by international political analysts as poor and ineffectual -- unable to relate with his people. There had been calls from his party and the rival SCP and Communist Parties for him to step down and name his successor. This too has been on the front page of all major news bulletins, along with a picture of Junichiro Asano, as the favored (and obvious) contender to the DLP's as well as Japan's highest seat.

"The news about you is getting to be smaller and smaller," Akiko Asano spoke in jest and then she sipped her tea that morning, with five newspapers in front of her. "Look at the news of Ryoichi-san in the headlines. He has a big picture in the front page!"

Junichiro Asano huffed as he folded the technology section of the German newspaper he was holding. "Is that right?" he asked, adjusting his glasses to look at the newspaper his wife was holding.

"_Aaa_... Akiko... you had a bigger picture when you won Miss Tokyo years ago," Junichiro said, seeming indifferent, returning to his own paper. "My picture is very small on page one. Also on page three, page six and on the editorial section."

Akiko chuckled, almost choking on the tea she was sipping. "You are not the least bit worried that the SCP and Nationalist has formed a coalition against the DLP?" she asked, a bit surprised.

"If I win, I win... Akiko..." Junichiro simply answered. "The DLP has been holding the prime minister seats for the last thirty years, even when my father was still an MP. It is only right for Ryoichi-san to level the playing field."

"_Sou! _" Akiko nodded and winked at him. "Let's see if you'll react so calmly once things get to be more... complicated."

Junichiro smiled. "Things are always complicated. This is just the beginning." He then spotted Nishida who just passed by the door of the dining room to get his breakfast.

"_Oi_... Nishida!" Junichiro called. "Tell me... is there anything today that would surprise me?" He smirked at Nishida, and pretended to wait for an answer.

"Kamui-san on the third section of the _Kyowa_ news?" Nishida answered quickly... without thinking. "He is quite a hit with the press."

"Really?" Junichiro almost knocked down his wife's tea cup as he grabbed her copy of the _Kyowa _newspaper. He quickly jumped to the third section... the Entertainment news, where there was indeed a photo of Kamui Asano at least discreetly on the second page, highlighting him as one of Japan's would-be idols.

"They didn't even mention me..." Junichiro seemed like he would almost cry (for joy, of course). "Why is it that your son gets to have your superstar pageant appeal?"

A sweatdrop fell above Akiko's head. She turned to Nishida instead. "Where is Kamui?" she asked.

"With his friend, Eine and Masato-san. He's helping them to move things from his apartment," Nishida answered, praying for his stomach not to grumble.

"He knows of our meeting today with a very special guest, doesn't he, Nishida?" Junichiro reminded authoritatively.

"_Haii..._" Nishida answered. "He _should_ know. I will remind him."

"This meeting is very important, Nishida. But don't worry about it. I'll take care of Kamui myself." The elder Asano was saying this with his paper down, sounding very serious. "From now on, I'm assigning you to Kamui as his bodyguard."

Nishida gulped, now forgetting his hunger. "But Asano-dono..." he tried to plead but it was already final for the elder Asano and he already raised his hand to signal him to skip all explanation.

"My son is becoming popular in his own right, isn't he?" Junichiro said, leering as if the achievement was his own. "This meeting will definitely be a good thing for him."

"This is a new 'alliance' again, Junichiro? We were disappointed with the Tominaga as was Kamui," Akiko interjected calmly after sipping her tea. "Shouldn't you be too busy crushing Hino-san instead of being matchmaker?"

"I can't help it. I have good taste with alliances and with women," Junichiro grinned, winking at his wife, which Akiko knew was actually one of his most serious statements. "Why do you think this will not work?"

"Woman's intution," Akiko answered confidently.

* * *

_Ichinichi. Nanagatsu. (September 1) _

Kenta Maeda tied his long lusciously straight, shiny and impossibly luxuriously shampooed hair in a low ponytail to help out in moving house. Only Kenta-kun can look that good in ordinary work clothes, with his sweat glowing from carrying all that heavy luggage. Soujirou, on the other hand, wheezed as he dropped on the box he carried and had no qualms of showing the unglamorous side of surrender -- his curly hair tied in a low ponytail but with strands messily stuck to his face like cotton candy and his hands and knees shaking from all the weight he carried.

Upon entering the apartment, Kenta gently laid down the luggage he was carrying, quickly wiped his hands off his trousers and greeted the lady of the house like a true gentleman.

"_Doozo yoroshiku..." _Kenta did a short bow. "I am pleased to meet you, Kino-san. You have a very nice place."

"Very pleased to meet you as well, Tsukino-san... and Mizuno-san," Kenta greeted, turning to the women beside her. "I have heard _many things _about you." (By 'many things,' that meant Soujirou's weekly reports via his mobile phone calls to him on the very brilliant, Biochemistry scholarship and honor student, chess champion, still-life apprentice painter, twenty-year old Ami Mizuno.)

Makoto's eyes were in a daze that she didn't answer. _Isn't he in the Kin commercials?_ Sanjounin's friends were extremely _kakkoii!_ Even his friend, Soujirou, was quite good looking even though he didn't have that much stamina. It was such a surprise to know how they were all connected. _Ami-chan even goes to Tokyo Tech with Soujirou-kun_!

Usagi, in the meantime, was completely oblivious and starstruck. Kenta was used to this kind of reaction anyway, even though a huge sweatdrop hung above him everytime he passed by her, politely asking to step aside ... he was carrying heavy things like the coffee table and she was in the way... _onegai, _Tsukino-san? But of course, being a gentleman just didn't help. It only made him more attractive.

"Soujirou-kun... are you alright?" Ami asked with concern, still by Makoto's side near the kitchen counter, helping her prepare the meals.

"_Hai! Mizuno-san!" _Soujirou answered instantly, standing alert on his feet as if being struck by lightning. "Do you need help with anything? Absolutely anything?"

"It's alright," Ami smiled cheerfully. "Mako-chan and I are doing well here."

"This is very unfair, Kamui! You're not paying me this time!"

Makoto immediately recognized that loud voice and it didn't sound drunk this time, which was a very good thing. Eine had been there earlier than Kenta or Soujirou and was the first to meet Makoto and her friends. She had invited everybody to help her with moving Sanjounin's things to her apartment, to which they were all too happy to oblige. (Minako, especially... except, she was running late.)

Eine entered carrying the biggest and heaviest case of all, gritting his teeth under that chain of his nose ring. Sanjounin entered as well, holding the other edge of the case.

"_Konnichiwa!"_ Sanjounin greeted them, smiling happily.

"Asano-san!" Makoto, Usagi and Ami gasped in unison when they saw Kamui enter, carrying a guitar in its own leather case on his back without difficulty.

"You know each other?" Soujirou asked, very surprised.

"They are... Rei-san's friends who I've met a few months ago," Kamui told Soujirou, smiling at Makoto. "I'm honored that you remembered. I'm pleased to see you again."

(Makoto was surprised at Kamui sounding so formal. She often heard most about him from Sanjounin. Kamui being closest to Sanjounin was such a huge surprise since they differed in backgrounds. Makoto heard a few stories from Sanjounin about his friend Kamui chasing after a certain daughter of a politician. Makoto didn't relate it at that time but now she knew who he meant.)

"_Masaka... _This is such a huge coincidence," Soujirou exclaimed.

(By this time, Usagi was turning on the page of IDOL magazine which she found somewhere in Makoto's apartment, along with Ami-chan. Ami was successful in hiding her astonishment at the discovery of having Kamui Asano in the same apartment where her friend, Makoto lived. Usagi, in the meantime, was more transparent with her celebrity moment. IDOL magazine was an entertainment magazine but right now, Kamui Asano was featured there, being reinstated as someone who had more of the makings of a j-pop idol than the next mayor of Tokyo.)

"_Masaka..._" Ami-chan echoed, but because she saw Usagi-chan flip to the page of IDOL magazine where a small photo of Kamui was placed.

"_Kakkoii!"_ Usagi exclaimed, excitedly showing them magazine on her hands. "See, this is Kenta-san's huge picture with _Kin _on this page and Asano-san's picture on this page!" Usagi's grin widened as she returned to gloss over the pages again, prompting a huge sweatdrop to fall on Kenta's, Kamui's and Soujirou's heads.

"_Anoo..."_ someone groaned.

"_Masaka! _You are all very famous..." Makoto couldn't help but comment, jumping by Usagi and Ami-chan to see the pages on IDOL magazine herself.

Makoto did not really expect all this. Life changed immediately after _O-bon_. All of a sudden, her boyfriend wanted to spend everyday with her, he says, and the next week, they're carrying his things into her apartment. And the famous SanjouMasa actually had his share of high profile friends. Now, a commercial model and the son of probably the next prime minister were standing in her apartment.

"But I am, too... in Tokyo Tech--" Soujirou tried to say something but another groan interjected.

"Help me!" Eine finally shouted, gigantic drops of sweat falling from his forehead and his knees were shaking from the intense weight on his shoulders.

Makoto rushed to help him, beating Kenta and Kamui in reaching Eine. (Soujirou did not make an effort because he remained frozen, being interrupted from his sentence to justify his own popularity.) Makoto lifted the case Eine was carrying, showing some difficulty but definitely lesser strain than Eine, and laid it down on the floor with such great ease.

(Now this was a surprise for both men, Kenta and Kamui, whose egos were struck by such display of strength at that moment. Kamui, most especially, because Sanjounin's description of his girlfriend was somebody more feminine and had imagined a _nadeshiko_ in his head with the way Sanjounin described her. Sanjounin's word was actually "graceful." He did mention that his girlfriend singlehandedly beat up this group of _ganguro_ girls but they all thought that was a joke ... until this day.)

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HELP ME, KAMUI!" Eine angrily shouted, after breathing comfortably from all that weight.

"Shut up... I tried to help but Sanjou-kun would not let me," Kamui replied, looking curtly at Eine.

Kenta had a clear picture in his head how that scene went:

_Kamui leaned over and tried to pick up a large case. _

_"Not that one," Sanjounin commanded._

_Kamui shifted to another medium sized case._

_"Not that one," Sanjounin commanded._

_And this time, Kamui was about to reach a smaller case._

_"Not that one," Sanjounin commanded, even before he was about to do that anyway._

"Sanjou-kun just allowed me to carry this," Kamui answered, with the guitar still on his back, putting a sweatdrop above Sanjounin's head.

"This is because Sanjou-kun knows that Kamui is most like him," Kenta explained. "Very destructive."

"Really?" Makoto whispered, now worried about Rei a bit.

"That is okay, Eine. I asked you and Kamui to help and you came," Sanjounin said, appeasing Eine gently. "Thank you so much for your help."

"I thought you were not fond of playing this one, Sanjou?" Kamui asked, pointing to the not so important instrument Sanjounin allowed him to carry.

"Only because it's very easy," Sanjounin answered, taking the guitar from Kamui to carry it to the empty room where the other instruments are kept.

"And because _she _likes this one," Sanjounin continued, beaming at Makoto to make sure she heard that. (Usagi gushed at that one. Soujirou kept a mental note of that line and how it was delivered so _eloquently_. Makoto... the thunder goddess... was able to be discreet of the electricity she felt down her spine.)

"Makoto-san, Rei-san is not with you?" Kamui finally asked.

"_Anoo..._ Rei-chan wanted to be here to help but she is very busy," Makoto answered. "She said she has an appointment with her father."

"_Sou ka..._" Kamui sounded disappointed.

"We haven't seen Rei-chan for a long time. She is very busy lately," Usagi told him. "But... Mako-chan, isn't Minako-chan coming here to help you with your apartment too?"

_Minako-chan...?_ That triggered something in Kenta Maeda, who for a long time, had been out of place in the entire conversation.

"She is coming, but she is running late. I don't know if..."

Kenta listened to Makoto talk but was too busy musing about this certain Minako he knew...

"We are going to meet, Mako-chan's boyfriend, Artemis-chan! They're going to rearrange Mako-chan's apartment together... it's like playing house!" A familiar voice had spoken from outside, as if to cue Kenta's thoughts.

"_Eeto..."_ Makoto was a bit embarassed when she heard it, knowing who it was.

The volume of the person who spoke was increasing as she was getting close to the door.

"This is going to be fun, Artemis-chan! I've only seen SanjouMasa play before but this will be the first time I'll meet him!" the voice continued.

Everyone in that apartment became silent in listening intently to that voice. Eine looked at Kenta, raised an eyebrow and silently mouthed a question as to why he was smiling by himself, to which Kenta simply huffed and smiled without answering. He knew that voice. Soujirou was right... _this is such a huge coincidence._

_"_He's Mako-chan's boyfriend! (Sweatdrop again falling above Makoto's head.) You like him too?"

_Wait... _Kenta was confused just as the men in that room were. Was that Aino-san's ...? Kenta always found her alone rehearsing the lines by herself. It couldn't be.

(Luna, who was keeping silent all this time, wanted to claw Artemis as soon as he entered for being so careless in breaking the secrecy of the girls being _senshi_.) Ami-chan rushed to the door and opened it for Minako, who thankfully had stopped talking as soon as it opened.

"Ami-channnn!" Minako greeted happily, entering the door in capri pants, tied shirt and a bandanna on her hair -- the work clothes she had shopped for, perfect for helping fix the new apartment for Makoto and meeting _the_ SanjouMasa. Minako had expected a small party -- only the girls and SanjouMasa, so she was surprised to see all these other faces looking at her.

"Eh? You were all alone?" Eine immediately asked, standing to see who else was outside, finding no one, except a white cat with a crazy moon tattoo on its forehead wrapping itself around Minako's legs in fear. (Note that the cat with the strange moon tattoo did not shock him.)

"We heard someone with you," Eine continued, looking at Minako, who was too frozen to speak. "It sounded like a male voice but he suddenly disappeared. This is strange... it can't be..."

Eine bent down to study the white cat with the crazy moon tattoo...

"_Sou... sou... _" Usagi rushed to Minako's side, trying to tone down Eine's observation with a grin. "You can't suspect that it was Artemis-chan. See? He's a cat!"

Usagi haplessly picked up Artemis and showed him closely to Eine and the rest of the boys.

"Meow?" That cat was not as good an actor as its master and at that time, it almost died of a heart attack.

"It's okay, Eine. There's a perfectly logical explanation."

It was Minako's turn to (almost) die of a heart attack upon hearing that voice. _Masaka..._ Kenta-chan! SanjouMasa was here and also... Kenta-chan! _This is way too perfect! _It was a good thing she had shopped for her 'work clothes' that day! (Only Minako can think of these things in a crisis.)

"I know Aino-san too, because we work together in the new play," Kenta explained. "She's very good at practicing lines on her own and she can impersonate a male voice very well."

_Heh._ Minako was not too thrilled with that explanation. She was hoping that Kenta-chan would say that there was really a man walking with her, but he immediately ran away because he was too jealous that she wanted to visit SanjouMasa. But no, they would rather believe a crazier explanation that she can sound like a man or that her cat can talk! (Who cares if it's true..._shimatta_?)

"Really? Can you try speaking to us like that again, Aino-san?" Eine asked... seriously.

"_Baka..._" Kamui interjected with a huge sigh.

"_Hora! _It's time to eat! Who would like to have some food?" Makoto interrupted, saving the day. It was a good thing that Sanjounin's friends were sensible enough not to trust a weirdo like Eine at that moment, even if he were blurting out things that were absurdly true. It was also a good thing that food was such an easy bait for Eine.

"_Anoo... _Mako-chan, our lunch is not yet ready," Ami-chan reminded gently, pointing to the bread baking in the oven.

"That's okay, Ami-chan... we'll just have this snack first," Makoto answered, feigning calmness with her frilly apron and serving the huge plate of snacks that she took from the kitchen counter.

Eine and Minako were the first to get from the plate -- the former because he ate anything, and the latter, because she wanted an excuse to stuff her mouth before anyone else could ask for her to speak like a man again. The rest were just completely hesitant to pick what looked like hard, dried mucus with familiar seaweed wrapper disguised as food.

Kamui, Kenta and Soujirou looked at Makoto, the owner of the house, and seeing her innocently expectant expression at the food she served them, were too grieved and too polite to say no. (Soujirou became queasy at the mere sight.) Kamui gulped a bit and took the first thing on top of that plate, with its sticky residue left on his fingers as he ate it, and imagined that it was _gyouza_. Kenta and Soujirou soon followed so all three swallowed the unknown, at least to see relief in the eyes of their host. Sanjounin was beaming brightly behind her and Kamui almost mistook this as betrayal for not having to gulp down anything on that plate... until he found himself chewing on something delicious.

"This is quite good," Kenta complimented in between chews, speaking truthfully. "What is this?"

"It is delicious, Kino-san," Soujirou added. "The rice is actually cooked well with more flavor and it melts in your mouth along with the salmon."

"_Onigiri_," Sanjounin answered, smiling proudly this time because... "I was the one who made it. I learned to make special _onigiri_ by adding flavor to the rice from Makoto."

"You made this? You cooked the rice this way yourself?" Kamui asked in disbelief.

"_Hai!"_ Sanjounin answered proudly.

"Well, it's a good thing you told them. You almost scared these guys, Sanjou-kun!" Eine told Sanjounin without hesitation, taking another piece of _onigiri_ from the plate. "I didn't know what it was myself... I mean, _shimatta na..._ how can it look like shit? It's only _onigiri_, Sanjou-kun!"

There were too many sweatfaces with this followed by an awkward silence. Kamui was the only filled with a dark aura. Still bearing his composure and surprisingly holding a second _onigiri_, turned to Eine.

"Eat." Kamui commanded, handing the plate forcefully to Eine.

Sanjounin laughed, much to Makoto's surprise that it didn't offend him. He knew Eine too well and was used to his tactlessness. The nice thing was that he didn't expect this day to be momentous -- even to the point of his own friends knew _her_ friends. And that everyone else would be united because of him making _onigiri_. Eine was actually quite right -- it was just _onigiri_, and if his own _sensei_ didn't teach him to pay attention to simple things like that, he couldn't make one that was as good.

"Things are changing for us, isn't it?" Sanjounin directed his remark at Kamui, who could not understand that strange happiness on his face.

"_Nani?"_

"I mean, Soujirou is right. This is such a huge coincidence," Sanjounin explained. "And _she_ is the only one who's not here."

"It is only a coincidence," Kamui sulkingly replied. "She is busy. I'm not a stalker like Soujirou."

"_Oi,_ Kamui-kun! I'm not a stalker!" Soujirou shot back defensively, trying to see if Mizuno-san heard that through his peripheral vision.

"Sanjounin is right. You have to admit that this is more than a coincidence," Kenta finally remarked, as was his tradition of concluding all conversation with the most sensible statements.

He looked at Aino-san, who was busy talking to Mizuno-san. The white cat, he had observed, was clinging to her so closely like her familiar. Kenta recalled Aino-san practicing her lines and remembered her voice distinctly... but no... Eine can't be right.

"It seems more like it's fated." Kenta concluded that with a last bite of the _onigiri_.

* * *

_Ichinichi. Nanagatsu. (September 1) _

Rei Hino wanted to call Makoto on her phone to ask her how things were at her apartment. She wanted to be there with Usagi, Minako and the others, and especially to meet SanjouMasa, whom Minako had raved so much about. For a long time, it had only been Usagi who had a boyfriend. (In fact, for the past millenia probably since the Silver Millenium.) So Rei really wanted to see how Makoto was reacting to all this. But Ono-san said that the schedules of those in the SCP were more hectic than ever because they were all busy with the passing meeting for the passing of her father's banking bill. This was the only time that most of them are available.

So Rei woke up early to attend to the appointment that she set with her father. And now, in the halls of Parliament, Ono-san walked beside her, dressed in a distinct emerald green suit and gallingly commanded another secretary that day to fetch Hino-dono's documents. In the Parliament offices, people would normally either mind their own business, do not even bother to be distracted by anything because of the hectic pace, or would just be too polite to notice anybody. Ono-san was just not used to and considered it really impolite that people would not even look discreetly from their peripheral vision this new visitor who had just entered Parliament, because Rei Hino, though dressed in a gray tweed suit was strikingly more noticeable than everybody else in there.

"Can't you pick up the pace, Hino-san? Or we will be late for this appointment," Ono-san grumpily ordered. The clunky sound of her thick heels quickening in tempo.

Rei huffed and then, she stopped. Raising her chin, she said haughtily, "Please go ahead, Ono-san. I know my schedule."

"Hino-san..." Ono-san said, turning back towards Rei. "This is Parliament. People have hectic schedules here. I am just concerned about the time."

"We are twenty minutes early, Ono-san. If you want to hurry, you can go ahead."

"If that is the case, then we are right on time!" Ono-san said, trying to smile instead to appease her.

And then Rei started walking. Slowly and greatly aware that this irritated Ono-san. They reached the end of the hall where Ono-san led her to the door that had her father's name in kanji and English in the metal plate -- which was a happy moment for her and Ono-san to finally separate. Rei immediately entered without knocking, and seeing her father's office for the first time gave her a moment of awe. Photos of her father shaking hands with various officials from all over the world and photos of him in various festivals and events made her realise only now how much she forgot how her own father actually looked like. The last long moment she had at him was probably during her mother's funeral. Right now, there were only glimpses of him at the Sumida and even during O-bon. The rest were stills of him in the newspaper she was reading.

That Ono-san had to make an appointment to meet him made her feel like a citizen asking the next would-be prime minister. It felt like an honor and a privilege ... only if he kept those appointments with his very own daughter.

"_Konnichiwa..._ I'm honored to meet you for this appointment." Rei bowed formally and greeted.

"So..." she stood up and snickered. "How does it feel sitting there in my father's seat?"

From behind that seat, he smiled upon hearing that. Gently turning the seat 180 degrees to face her, Kaidou-san then stood up, walked towards Rei and politely bowed. "_Konnichiwa!_" he greeted.

"Don't worry, Rei-san," Kaidou-san said, smiling at her. "I will not dishonor your father even with just this simple thing of sitting at his desk. I am not yet worthy to do even that. Please... sit down."

Rei sat down and took a quick glance at her father's empty seat. Masking her disappointment, she asked, "My father is in a different meeting?"

Kaidou nodded, sitting at the visitor's chair opposite her. "This is regarding his public relations," he answered.

"Unn..." Rei replied, realising that her father was now meeting with Ono-san instead and was even more disappointed.

"Don't worry, Rei-san. You are a part of that. You are Hino-dono's daughter and the press has taken a liking to you lately because your name has been cleared in the incident at the ambassador's party."

"That is a bit strange. At first they wanted to think I was taking something as far fetched as drugs and now I have a good reputation?"

"You can't blame them, Rei-san. You stirred things for no apparent reason in a private party. There is no logical explanation at that time than that," Kaidou explained. "But the latest articles cleared you and they were written very well in two respectable newspapers. Somebody in the press must really like you that much."

_Rei couldn't help but smile at that._ "Anyway..." she coughed. "I came here to tell my father personally that I am shifting courses from Asian Philosophy to Management at Waseda. But I understand this may be too trivial as compared to his public relations so I would like to ask for your help in telling him that."

"It could sound as if you can't make up your mind so there must be a good reason."

"Please tell him that I would like to help my grandfather in managing the Shrine. He is already old and must rest. I can also help him in the cultural concerns of his office, such as preserving historical landmarks and shrines."

"He is currently busy with other things that are related to the economy. It sounds complicated, but you see, Hino-dono will not--"

"He has allied with the Honohouchi because this is his weakness, isn't it? He knows that pursuing economic bills are the priority but if he wants to connect with the rest of Japan and show nationalism, he is supporting these cultural concerns but realised instead to delegate it. He can even delegate some questions to me."

Kaidou-san raised both eyebrows and was greatly surprised at this new knowledge. "I thought that you disliked politics, Rei-san," Kaidou-san told her, adjusting the frame of his glasses.

"Kaidou-san... will you please tell my father?" Rei asked instead, dodging his statement.

Rei felt Kaidou-san look at her with that same liquid stare he did last O-bon so she felt awkward in looking straight into his eyes. She tried to remain steady in her seat in order to act professional. This was her debut into political negotiations so she was dismissing her gift of sensing the true aura that surrounded Kaidou-san. He always had a mild-mannered and gentle disposition so anything past that was completely ... very much unlike him.

"I will, Rei-san," Kaidou-san finally answered after a long awkward silence. "I just have one question.You knew that you would be meeting with me instead of Hino-dono, didn't you?"

"_Hai._" Rei nodded, trying to sound indifferent. "This is not the first time."

Kaidou-san smiled. "I thought you would not want to meet me after what I said to you last O-bon," he told her.

"You have shifted to the SCP and now you are my father's right hand man. I think you are only doing what you think is right for him."

"I am also doing what is best for you, Rei-san. When you're with Asano Kamui, you become attached to his reputation and it has only brought you bad publicity in the newspapers."

"You must learn to trust me, Kaidou-san."

"It's not just that," he said, adjusting his glasses. "You know that I've always looked after you."

There was no better answer. Rei looked down at her toes to concede to that answer with a little guilt. Kaidou-san smiled at his gentle assurance to her but still with the mutual understanding in that silence that neither will submit to any kind of compromise on the matter regarding Kamui Asano. But this was not the end of it.

Kaidou-san stood up and initiated thanking her coming to this appointment with a bow.

As she was heading towards the door, Rei took one last look at his father's photographs and felt a wind of nostalgia blow memories that did not belong to her. She then fidgeted with the small pendant of the necklace she wore to acknowledge the source.

"Kaidou-san, would you know if my mother had ever been inside this office?"

Kaidou-san thought for a moment and said, "It's very likely but maybe I probably wasn't here yet at that time."

_Sou ka..._If her mother had walked here, Rei imagined as she was walking down the halls of the Parliament offices, Risa Hino would've been an instant celebrity. A real looker. In all the photographs in her grandfather's album, her mother was very beautiful. Risa Hino would've been the best public relations asset of her father if she were alive to stay by his side.

Rei hadn't realised that while imagining this, she was fulfilling the destiny that she thought was her mother's. She was able to get whispers from the Parliament office's onlookers that Ryoichi Hino's daughter was such a beauty, and she was getting gazes even from women who were the gatekeepers to gossip press releases that reached Ono-san's office. Rei's sixth sense remained oblivious to this because she was too pensive in thought, marking every landmark in that building in case her mother's spirit left a memory there.

Then the phone rang ... about forty times to break this meditation. She was already nearing the exit of the building.

"Rei-san!" The voice at the other line exclaimed.

"Kamui-san?"

"Hino-san..." A burlier voice spoke and he was in front of her. "I am Nishida," he said after startling her. "Asano-san sent me."

"Why weren't you at Kino Makoto-san's apartment? All of your friends were there." Kamui continued to ask on the phone.

Kamui's voice sounded demanding but she was surprised to have learned that Kamui-san was there too. "What are you doing in Mako-chan's apartment?"

"Sanjounin is my friend. So are Kenta-kun and Soujirou-kun who both know Aino Minako-san and Mizuno Ami-san."

"Really? This is such a huge coincidence!"

"It is... are you finished with the meeting with your father?"

A short pause. "Yes, I am."

"Good. I sent Nishida to pick you up. There is just this ... " Kamui coughed. "... small matter I'm taking care of. But it will be over soon. I'll meet you at the Kitawa Shrine. Nishida will take you there."

"Eh? So soon? It's nearing lunch, Kamui-san and --"

"Asano-san..." Nishida spoke on Rei's phone, after forcefully grabbing it from her. "Your father wants you to do well in that 'meeting.' Don't mess it up. I'll take care of her from here." He then pressed a button to end the call and gave it back to Rei without any apologies.

"Let's go, Hino-san," Nishida commanded, bowing low to her.

"Nishida-san? Are you serious? It's already nearing lunch and--"

"Please, Hino-san... don't make it too hard. I'm just here to obey orders."

That was actually a plea? "Nishida-san... Kamui-san can't order me around like that," Rei replied, crossing her arms.

"He can't do that to you but I'm obliged to follow his orders, so..." Nishida said, pulling the sleeve of her tweed suit. "Kitawa Shrine is just twenty minutes from here."

If he was able to get the young Asano to go to O-bon without any difficulty, Nishida could easily get Rei Hino to the same place despite her pleas (and contemplations to transform into Sailormars if she didn't trust Kamui-san that much.)

* * *

_Minako Aino's Omiai adventures that happened before O-bon_

_Adventure 1: _

It was 5 am when the matchmaker called asking Minako to wake up because they finally found the right guy who would suit her relentless 'sugar energy.' Her date arrived at 5:30 am when Minako was still groggily brushing her teeth. He was wearing a sleeveless (and tight!) jogging outfit and shorts, very excited to meet her that his very handshake shook Minako so much, her knees almost gave up. (But that was because she still wasn't fully awake yet.) He laughed, said she was so cute about fifty times and grabbed her arm for them to start a "great relationship" bright and early in the morning.

He probably ran fifty kilometers and Minako made a centimeter past the door. Did he remember to come back?

_Adventure 2_

The little man at the dating agency profusely apologised for being such a poor matchmaker, mistaking 'sugar energy' as literal physical compatibility. So the next week, he promised Minako the kind of man he asked for -- dashing, had a good voice, and looked like an idol. (Plus points!)

The date came on time. 7:30 and with a single rose between his... er, her mouth. Minako recognized him... er, her because _she _was famous in the _takarazuka_ theater. (#$!)

_Adventure 3_

"_Ohayoo..._ Aino Minako? These are for you." He said, standing at the door of the Costume Department, holding a huge bouquet of red roses. "I always thought you were cute."

"..."

"#$&!#(!($(!$#(!$(#!)!"

Really terrible, ugly and gory scene of Minako wringing her matchmaker's neck for matchmaking HIMSELF as her date.

_Sigh._

"Aino-san?"

No answer. Busy with gruesome imagination of burning down the dating agency.

"Ah... Aino-san?"

Such a sweet voice. She recognised it now. Was that Kenta-chan standing before her, holding a bouquet of roses? Suddenly the gory scene of burning and gnashing of teeth had disappeared and a fog seemed to envelop only her and Kenta-chan, who was standing in her midst, wearing a cape. (for that scene in the play)

"_Haii...?"_ Minako asked sweetly, as petals flew in the fog as though enthralled by the strings of a violin.

A lot of petals were indeed flying since Kenta was holding a worn-out bouquet of roses, where only two or three remained intact of what was left of that matchmaker's gift to her.

"You dropped this," Kenta said, handing her the bouquet of roses by stretching out his hand as far as he could until she could reach it. He swiftly pulled back his hand and tried to discreetly step back to what seemed like a safe distance as soon as he felt Aino-san having taken the bouquet.

"Aino-san... something must have happened, right? Something terrible?" Kenta asked her, sounding concerned. "You don't really ..." cough "... do that to people, right?"

The sight of the bouquet brought back the imagination of asking Sailormars to burn down the dating agency and Kenta was again afraid to see such murderous stare in Minako, until... she realised what Kenta-chan had asked her.

"I guess I got lost for a moment. I've never done that before..." she said, a film of water glistening in her repentant eyes.

"Aino-san..." Kenta said gently, now finding it safe to get (just a little bit) close to sit near her. He even knelt down to console her. "Do you need a doctor?" He asked, sounding genuinely concerned. (He was referring to a psychiatrist.)

_Kenta-chaaaan..._Minako could almost cry and hug him. "I'm okay, Maeda-san," she answered, trying to smile as cheerfully as she can. "I'm going to say sorry to him tomorrow at the hospital."

* * *

_Ichinichi. Nanagatsu. (September 1) - Finally at Kitawa Jinja_

"How long till he gets here, Nishida-san?" Rei asked grumpily, sitting at the steps of the Kitawa Shrine's front porch.

"He must be held up by his father," Nishida answered, taking a bite from his _onigiri_. "All I'm asked to do is hold you here until he arrives."

Rei glanced at her watch, which said that it was already 1:30 pm. "It's already past lunch," she complained. "If you give me back my phone so I can call him, we would have known where he really is."

"I can't allow that. This is a very important meeting and Asano-dono won't allow any interruptions," Nishida explained, patting Rei's mobile phone which he secured in his pocket. "Besides, I asked you to eat something. Here, why don't you take some of this _onigiri_. Kamui told me his _friend_ made it himself just this morning."

Rei took one look at the molten rice cakes in the bento box that Nishida was holding and resisted the urge to feel queasy. She wanted to be at Makoto's place right now where she was sure to get the 'right kind of _onigiri_.' She just couldn't trust this one... not knowing they came from the same place.

"I can't stay here any longer, Nishida-san. I'm going home," she announced impatiently.

"I can't allow that, Hino-san. Please wait just a little longer. Asano-san will be here in a while."

Rei shook her head. "What do you mean you can't allow that? I'm not your hostage," she said in great indignation, flipping her hair. "I'm going home!"

"Hino-san... I can't allow that," Nishida warned in a really low tone.

Rei stood up and didn't say anything. She stood to her feet and was only about two steps until Nishida blocked her way, _onigiri_ on one hand, chewing rice with his shades on and one eyebrow raised.

"I told you to eat something," Nishida told her in a low commanding tone.

"_Oi_, Nishida... what are you doing with Rei-san?"

Rei was screaming inside when she finally heard that voice. There stood Kamui Asano, dressed in a very formal black coat and tie that looked more fancy than any of his business suits.

"She wanted to leave," Nishida answered, finally dropping the phone in his pocket in Rei's hands. "How was your _important _meeting?"

Kamui shook his head. "It was so stuffy in there that I almost couldn't breathe," he said, scowling at Nishida. "It's a good thing it ended so soon or I have to make an excuse to leave."

He then dismissed all that and walked towards Rei, smiling when he reached her. "You mean you almost let her escape?" Kamui grinned, looking at Rei as if he nothing happened. He took a good glance at her from head to toe dressed in that gray tweed suit, happily appreciating to have seen her in formal clothes as though she was going on a political campaign.

"You're late..." Rei said coldly, not even looking at him.

"Let's go then, Rei-san. I'm going to show you something."

Kamui immediately grabbed her hand before she could even complain or struggle. He sounded very excited too, after that announcement, and had a cheerful look on his face as he dragged her inside the Kitawa Shrine. She was almost tripping in her skirt at his speed but Kamui didn't stop until they reached the porch that faced a huge pond in the Kitawa Shrine.

"Look at this," Kamui said, finally letting go of his grasp. He pointed to a medium sized paper boat that had two small candles inside it.

"My father taught me this tradition here in the Kitawa Shrine," he said, handing her the paper boat and gently held her hand to walk her towards the pond. "One _O-Bon_ when I was younger, he took me to show me my grandfather's grave and my great grandfather's grave. They were all in government and they were all high ranking politicians. They made sure they had enough male heirs and groomed them to become their own successors."

"But my grandfather raised his son to be more like his successor than his own child, and was very strict. My father swore that he would never do that to his own children. So my grandmother brought him to this pond and told him to float a paper boat with two candles. One would stand to burn for honoring all our ancestors and the other would allow our ancestors to grant all our wishes."

Kamui smiled as he handed Rei the paper boat in his hands. "My father swears that it works, Rei-san," he said, very amused. "He only had two wishes -- to become Japan's best prime minister and to marry the most beautiful woman."

Rei was speechless. She didn't know that Kamui was this sentimental. She was used to all kinds of traditions being a _miko_ but even in Hikawa Jinja, there were not a lot of invented family traditions. She never had one, save for the birthday dinners she supposedly had with her father but had it with Kaidou-san instead.

"Let's go, Rei-san..." Kamui told her after lighting the candles on the paper boat.

Only when she saw how sincerely expectant he was did she feel touched. Kamui shared a private family tradition with her since he could not be part of her _O-Bon_. A soft breeze blew as soon as she released the paper boat in the pond, allowing it to move on the streams of the waveless pond. It was the same kind that spoke to her when she was searching for shadows of her mother's memories at the Parliament offices. Only then was Rei convinced that it was true, so she closed her eyes and made a wish...

"Why don't you go make another one like this and make a wish?" she asked Kamui.

"I already made the same wish as my father because he convinced me that there is no other thing I should ask for except those two," Kamui said, smiling. "And I also made another one at Hikawa Jinja."

Rei gulped guiltily at having known that. She had kept the wood block he wrote where he wrote his wish. The one that said "_miko_."

"What about you?" Kamui asked. "What did you wish for?"

Rei raised her right hand's forefinger to her lips and said, "_Hi-mi-tsu_..._" _she whispered, winking.

Kamui sighed. "_Sou..._" he conceded. "I should have made one more wish. I would like to taste my favorite dish... home cooked like my mother used to make when I was younger. Ever since my father became elected as an MP, he and my mother became too busy with political campaigns. All I eat is take-out or those done by the cook."

He was polite enough not to say anything like instant curry, which he did eat occasionally. But right now, it didn't seem to matter to Rei. All this talk of food was making her _motto-motto_ miserably hungry...

"My mother..." Rei mumbled, trying to take her attention away from her stomach. "Today I was at my father's office to meet Kaidou-san... and I can't help but wonder if my mother was also able to visit there like I did. But I looked and saw that there were not even pictures of her in his office."

"Your mother?" Kamui thought for a minute. "That's possible. My mother had been involved since my father's campaign so it's very possible. I can ask my mother if she knows. She's been around that place long enough."

"_Domo..._" she thanked him, very appreciative. "I thought Kaidou-san would know."

Kamui's eyes narrowed into a scowl upon hearing that name. "Kaidou-san... I always knew that he would not be loyal to the DLP," he said. "I know he is supposed to be your father's successor but why are you meeting with him often?"

"He's always been there ..." The light in her eyes were fading. "... to take the place of my father because he was too busy even to meet me."

_Take the place of my father..._ Kamui repeated in his thoughts. The phone conversation he had with her last _O-bon_ echoing these words. "Rei-san..." he began, his tone rising when he realised. "Does this mean that Kaidou-san was your--?"

Rei gave a weak nod, mesmerized as the paper boat floated on the pond, watching the wick of the candles melt onto the paper.

"_Sou ka..._ did he ever--?"

"No... I was just a child then," she replied before he could finish, relieving him of little tinges of jealousy that were about to show. "And he did what he had to do to be my father's successor ... he got himself married to a prominent politician's daughter."

Kamui's disposition had now changed. He had underestimated Kaidou-san's loyalty. It was just in the wrong place. It always belonged to Hino-dono. And more so did Kamui relate to the Kaidou-san's circumstances -- a shadow of that just happened to him hours ago. He watched the paper boat be engulfed in flames and slowly sinking into the water to fulfill a wish. Then Kamui looked back at Rei, sullenly watching the same thing as he was, and remembered his _own _wish.

"Rei-san..."

She was surprised at having felt his distance and his whisper suddenly closer to her. Kamui's hand was touching her cheek and gently pulling her chin closer to him. His eyes were half-open and they were focused on Rei's lips so he was not able to see the mixed feelings of confusion and panic in her eyes.

_What had happened this morning?_ This was just one of Rei's thoughts as she felt his breath mist on her lip, amazingly pragmatic at a time like this! Kamui, on the other hand, did not feel the need to explain anything. He did not want to ask permission. He just wanted to know what _it _felt like to finally put to rest this growing curiosity inside of him.

Rei sighed, surrendering. She put her hand on Kamui's hand that touched her cheek and nodded at him. Kamui's smile seemed devious at the time he saw that, being elated with his success in persuading her to give _permission_. So he drew himself closer and slowly...

She gave a deep growl like that of a bear... which then seemed to sound like it was being flushed and her lips were not moving... _What the hell was that... _

It is said that when you're near death, moments of your life flash before your very eyes. In this case, Rei remembered the episode of Minako-chan's Girl School Battle:  
_"Rei-chan, do you fart?"  
Everybody else spat their tea hearing Minako's question. _

Rei wasn't near death, but she wanted to die that time because her stomach growled again and loudly this time, with more unique sounds as though one was burping and water was being flushed. She didn't even know it could do that. Even Minako-chan didn't hear her make sounds like that. At least you can control a fart.

"Was that you, Rei-san?" Kamui asked, smiling and not afraid to hide his amusement. "So you're not perfect, after all!"

"It was because you were late," Rei answered pushing herself away from him, her irritation increasing coupled with intense feelings of hunger. If he wasn't so impolite to ask the obvious and did something about it instead, she would have forgotten about it.

She huffed, flipped her hair and started walking away from the pond with only the intention of leaving him there and going home.

"Where are you going?" Kamui asked, grabbing forcefully at her arm to stop her from walking. She gave him a cold piercing look for what he just did to which he simply shook his head and returned back a grimacing stare at her.

"_Tsk tsk..._That'll be of no use now," he told her sternly. "Your stubborness won't solve anything. Besides, you should've said something earlier."

_I wanted to but you dragged me_... She wasn't able to say that since her stomach spoke for her, making her blush of shame instead. (Sweatdrop above Kamui's head.)

"I've asked them to prepare lunch for us here. It should still be here," he said, grabbing her wrist again to lead her back inside the Sanctuary.

"_Matte!_" Rei shouted, almost tripping from the speed at which he was dragging her. She pulled back her wrist free from his grasp and stared angrily at him, never mind if he was defiantly staring angrily back at her.

"What is wrong with you, Kamui-san?" she asked, rubbing her wrist to relieve it from the strength of his grasp.

Seeing that made Kamui feel vulnerable, then guilty. "I'm sorry... " he apologised, moving back a step away from her so that she would not feel threatened. "I just had a long day today. It started out to be good until late this morning. And I wanted to see you because... "

He sighed. "... it may be a long time again before I see you again."

_Sou ka_... it was her turn to feel vulnerable except she had mastered the art of masking it. "This is about your father's meeting?" Rei asked, wanting to make sure it was not because of what Kaidou-san had said -- about her not seeing Kamui-san.

Kamui nodded. "It seems that implicating Yuuka was too successful. When my father read it, he found me another fiancee," Kamui explained sullenly. "And this time, he's dedicated to this matchmaking event than ever."

"Then, are you marrying her?" Rei asked, a little daunted.

Kamui shrugged. "Let's just say my father is convinced that this is more of a heavyweight than Yuuka so it's harder to get out of," he had on his signature smirk in saying that.

"Many things are happening in Japan, Rei-san," he continued. "Prime Minister Saeki cannot hold his post any longer. Very soon, he'll be sure to give that leadership of the DLP and then my father will become the prime minister."

"Don't be too sure," Rei answered, her turn to smirk. "It could be my father. The _Kometo_ Coalition is now almost as big as the DLP."

Kamui raised both eyebrows, being very impressed at what Rei just said. "I thought you hated politics, Rei-san?" Kamui asked. It was probably the second time he had asked that.

_I did... but there are just people who are powerful enough to change what you believe. _And there was another brilliant answer in Rei's mind but at that moment, her stomach growled the loudest.

Kamui was actually liking how this conversation was going and did not want to risk getting her grumpy again especially since he was the reason for that. So he innocently looked up the ceiling and didn't say anything. He was impressed with himself though that that was the most tactful thing he did, and didn't notice that he was smiling.

"Kamui-san..." Rei said sweetly. It was her turn to smirk. "If you speak of this to anyone, especially to Minako-chan, I'm going to ask Phobos and Deimos to take care of you."

"No problem, Rei-san," Kamui answered, grinning. He grabbed hold of her wrist gently this time. "It will be... _Hi-Mi-Tsu_."

* * *

_Ichinichi. Nanagatsu. (September 1) - The way home_

Momentous things happened to all _senshi_ that day. Except that they didn't know that the things to come will not happen because of their account. _Collateral damage_... or so it would seem later on. Except that things were happening, in Makoto's case, the opposite as Rei Hino -- it was too fast and it seemed too good.

She would now be used to him as SanjouMasa ... this guy who was now cleaning up the beer cans of _Kin_ and plates of _onigiri_ and chips in her small apartment. Minako called him that over and over again, very excited to finally meet this extremely _kakkoii_ rock star in the clubs of Shibuya, even though he was not an established idol yet. (Usagi joined Minako in this idol worship.) His instruments were now in her spare closet, which Makoto originally intended to place all her old things once she gets _married_. (Sigh.)

SanjouMasa's friends were really very helpful and she was pleased to meet all of them. Asano-san had to leave early because of a meeting with his father. In the afternoon, Usagi-chan left first to meet up with Mamoru and then Ami-chan decided to leave early to do more studying for her paper. Soujirou instantly rose as soon as this announcement was made and he walked with her going home. Minako... blushed and froze when Kenta offered to walk the way out with her.

"So this is it... all the work is finally over!" SanjouMasa exclaimed, tiredly leaning his arm on the wall. He looked at his watch and shrugged. "I'm going to be late for band practice so I better be going now," he said, smiling at Makoto.

"Aren't you staying for dinner? ... SanjouMasa?" Makoto winked.

"That's ok. I can cook," he answered, winking back. "Your friend Minako is asking why we're only putting in instruments in your apartment and not my clothes. I had to explain to her many times that I'm not really moving in. Just my instruments."

Makoto then she realised that she herself wasn't as romantic as she thought. And he was... which was completely odd. When Sanjounin first proposed the idea of living together, she threw the rag she used in cleaning the center table and asked, _What do you think of me? One of your ganguro otaku?_

"See how useful I am, Makoto? I clean up after everybody else!" Sanjounin announced proudly, admiring his cleanup achievement.

"_Yare yare..._" she teased, sticking out her tongue at him. "You deserve two points for it then!"

_Heh..._ Sanjounin grabbed his jacket on the sofa and playfully leaped in front of Makoto and kissed her ... on the forehead. "That is for teaching me how to cook good _onigiri_ and promoting it to my friends," he said cheerfully and then kissed her lips.

He then took one look at Makoto's apartment and to the place where all his instruments are stored. "I'm just trying to make sure that everything that is important to _me_ is in this place." Those were Sanjounin's last words before he left.

* * *

Soujirou observed how Sanjounin managed to do it. He didn't do anything much. Those were just compliments. Soujirou was guessing that it was probably in the way Sanjounin delivered his words -- words that would make a girl's eyes glisten upon hearing them. Because no matter what Soujirou did, he couldn't seem to _score_ with Ami Mizuno.

_"Give yourself plus points for trying," _Kenta Maeda encouraged sleepily after Soujirou called him on his mobile phone for his weekly update on Ami Mizuno. "_This is only your first time in trying women."_

_"Second time, Kenta-kun! Second time! I had a girlfriend before, remember?_" Soujirou answered defensively, screeching on the other line which later became Kenta's wakeup call.

The truth was that Ami Mizuno had heard a lot about Soujirou Nishimura-sensei's reputation. He was one of Tokyo Tech's star alumni and Soujirou never let anyone forget that. She never believed it at first until Nishimura-sensei took her to the faculty room to show her all his plaques of recognition. But anyway, that only happened once during their date. Nishimura-sensei was actually very sweet and he never ran out of topics to talk about. He just couldn't stop talking.

And at the end of the day, when Soujirou was walking Ami Mizuno home from Makoto's apartment, he realised that Ami Mizuno was only being friendly. The goal of being the top scholar in Biochemistry for her to become one of Japan's best doctors preceeded him -- Soujirou Nishimura, the top student in Tokyo Tech's history.

"_Sugoi!_ How were you able to do that?" a boy in the Crown Game Center at Juuban was asking Soujirou, who managed to rack up the highest points in pinball. Both of the boy's friends were mesmerized. Soujirou was inputting his name as the game's top scoring player for the fifth time. The top 7 places were also his name. This was how he he'd always choose to spend his day when he was depressed.

"Well, it's very easy once you figure out the number of probabilities that the ball will land on this pin," Soujirou explained, pointing to the arcade game. "You can assume a certain number, x, and then compute the number of times it will appear on this side of Hyperspace and then to this side of the pin. The angle thirty degrees to the--"

"_Shimatta na..._I didn't know that guy was such a nerd."

"Yeah! And it's only a game!" the other boy answered, walking away from Soujirou. (Huge sweatdrop hovering on his head upon hearing them say he was a nerd.)

GAME OVER.

"Game over... this is how it is even in real life," Soujirou complained, haplessly leaning over the arcade counter to present his winning tickets to Motoki, the arcade manager. "I may be the most brilliant person in the world but I lose on the dumbest things!"

"And now... presenting today's champion in the Iron Grandmaster Chess Tournament... Ultraman Master!"

"Ultraman Master?" Soujirou curiously asked when he heard that from the television. He couldn't believe what he saw. A publicly televised chess tournament? Ultraman Master did arrive dressed in the traditional Japanese hero costume... with an insignia of a rook in his chest.

"What is that?" Soujirou's mouth was agape in disgust and disbelief.

"That's the Iron Grandmaster," Motoki explained. "This is a new program that is as famous as the Iron Chef! There are various challenges of chess all over the country and the winners all converge here in Tokyo."

(The Iron Chef is a famous cooking competition in Japan. It was very famous that even the US adapted it, starring William Shatner as its host. Putting an Iron Grandmaster Chess Tournament would not be so weird in Japan.)

"Dressed like that?" _And they said I was a nerd!_

Motoki laughed. "Well, part of the plan in chess is to bluff your opponent to conceal your moves, right? It works somehow. Besides, the women actually like it."

"What kind of women are these? Chess is a game of strategy. It's so easy to win!"

"Why don't you join in then if you're a chess genius? The winner gets 15 million yen and you're surely going to be famous!"

_Famous?_ _That's all it takes to be famous?_ Soujirou laughed. He could beat anyone at chess easily. He could think six or seven steps further than anybody else! But he can't be found dead looking like that! Not in that hideous Ultraman costume wearing tights and tightly concealing his face in hot silver velvet while playing chess.

Suddenly, the polyphonic sounds of an old Sailor-V arcade game began playing in the background. It was a teenager who played and probably trying to reminisce the old glory days of Sailor-V. Soujirou looked at the picture of Sailor-V plastered on the machine and then began reminiscing as well.

Sailor-V... she was very popular about five or six years ago until she mysteriously disappeared. Soujirou thought she was really cute and incredibly cool back then. And, knowing that she fought for the principles of love and beauty, made Sailor-V a kindred in his book.

And it was at that revolutionary moment that Soujirou Nishimura finally realised that he found his true calling.

* * *

_Ninichi. Nanagatsu. (September 2)_

"Rei-chan... "

"Yes, _ojii-san_?"

"I'm sorry to bother you during your meditation but you have a visitor."

Rei saw that Phobos and Deimos heard the sound of heavy footsteps on the wooden floor but since that did not garner their attention, she knew it could not be Kamui. It was only about six in the evening and he did say he would be late because of a schedule phone meeting with his father. On the way home yesterday after their meeting at Kitawa Shrine, Kamui promised to make it up to Rei by going today at the Hikawa Jinja to cook dinner for her and her _ojii-san_. His schedule so far had not been so hectic. (Not at this rate.) Rei did ask what would make him busy in the next few days but Kamui said that it wasn't important for her to know until he did something about it and changed the topic immediately.

_"I'm sorry I don't know a lot of dishes but I learned a few dishes when I traveled," _Kamui apologised. _"At least they're not the typical Japanese dishes you know."_

He said that his friend, Sanjounin, who is incidentally Makoto's new 'boyfriend,' finally decided that he should go for cooking lessons when he learned Kamui himself can cook! (Sanjounin figured that Kamui didn't even need to, being the richest one. So the fact that Kamui can cook and he couldn't... _shimatta na..._ Sanjounin then made sure he'd attend the next cooking lesson.)

The sound of the footsteps grew stronger and stronger, and Rei immediately recognized who it was from the glimpse of his shadow. Phobos and Deimos remained quiet standing at both sides.

"Why don't you ever say anything when it is he who arrives?" Rei teased, playfully pointing her finger at Deimos, who stood at her right.

She then leaned on the floor to stand to her feet, ready to expect her guest.

"Good evening... Kaidou-san," Rei greeted and gave a low bow. The Sacred Fire in the meditation room had not sensed anything but Kaidou-san's presence made the atmosphere a bit warmer.

When she rose from her bow to see him, Kaidou-san was standing in the center of the entrance, with the orange light of the sunset causing to fall the most flattering shadows on his warm and gentle face. Dressed in his usual blue coat and tie that he usually wore to work, Kaidou-san had a refreshing aura around him, much like a distinguished gentleman, and looking like every _shoujo_ heroine's dream. He was carrying a bouquet of white casablanca lillies.

"You knew it was me, Rei-san?" he asked and smiling because of that.

"It was easy," she answered simply, trying to make the conversation short at the sight of those casablanca lillies -- which would mean that Kaidou-san now had an excuse to stay longer.

"These are for you, Rei-san," Kaidou-san happily told her as he handed her the bouquet of casablancas.

"Are those from Honohouchi-san?" she asked haughtily, folding her arms in refusal to accept. "He has called me about five times today and he still can't take no for an answer."

Kaidou-san grimaced disappointedly at that. "These are not from Honohouchi-san. These are from me," Kaidou-san said, still holding the bouquet.

"_Sou ka..._" she mumbled, a bit embarassed and puzzled at the reason of receiving those flowers from him.

"I thought that since you have not received one for your birthday that I should honor _our _tradition and still give them to you."

"Actually... I still received them on my birthday..."

He winced. "Really? From whom?"

She gazed dreamily at the casablancas and caressing its silky petals, she didn't know she was almost smiling when she said, "It's not important."

Kaidou-san nodded instead pretending to accept that answer. _It couldn't have been..._ She was about twelve or so when she first stared into the glass window of the store to look at those casablanca lillies. She was probably too shy to say that she had liked them then, looking at him so innocent like that that he could not resist giving those flowers on her next birthday. Now it was the same daughter of Ryoichi Hino looking at those same flowers, but that was clearly not the look of innocence.

It was the look of longing.

If only Kaidou-san knew that he was lucky enough to even see that... Rei Hino would never ever show her true emotions, even just a glimpse of them to those who truly mattered. She was very alert in masking her true feelings, the little politician that she was who hated hypocrisy but was not true when it came to her own feelings.

"Does my father want to tell me something?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Isn't that always the case, Kaidou-san?"

He shifted his gaze on the floor. "Not today," he answered. "Today, I have come on my own."

Rei winced to express her disbelief.

"There is no other reason," he assured her.

She was looking at him suspiciously and was afraid to ask about the real reason. _Onegai, Kaidou-san... not now... _her heart was beating so fast.

"I have been making a lot of major decisions these past few weeks," Kaidou-san said, slowly walking towards her. "I have been thinking that it's about time that I decide for myself instead of deciding in behalf of other people."

"Because I've always wondered what would happen if I had..." Kaidou-san's voice trailed away and his eyes were under a spell, as he combed his fingers on a few strands of her hair.

The slightest sensation of his touch gave such an incredible shock down her spine that Rei dropped the bouquet she was carrying and found her knees weakened when she immediately sidestepped away from him.

Nobody spoke for a while. There was such a tense silence in between them, with the calm in Kaidou-san's eyes decidedly fixed on her apprehensive gaze. The cracking of the fire's embers had increased and the flames had heightened in tune with Rei's own inner emotions.

"It can't be..." she whispered. Disappointed.

So was Kaidou-san, who was all the more saddened that even she expected a brand of character from him. "I thought you would understand it now, Rei-san," he laughed quietly to himself.

No answer.

"Back then, both of us were too young and idealistic. And now we both changed. We were just at the wrong time."

Kaidou-san was drawing closer, walking towards her. For every step forward he took, she was able to take one back, until five steps of backwards chasing, Rei realised that Kaidou-san was just too determined so she pushed him away with her palm. Only then did Kaidou-san stop walking.

"You were always at the wrong time, Kaidou-san..." she told him. Only it was not enough to discourage him.

He was able to push himself through to press his lips onto hers, and with both hands holding her arms to catch her off balance in advancing away from him.

Rei Hino froze and the flames of the Sacred Fire were frantically waving its fiery hands in the air, at the same rapid tempo that her heart was beating.

Kaidou-san was too engrossed to mind the heated flames only meters away from him. Phobos and Deimos did. The two ravens flapped their wings and flew circling above them. They were both screeching loudly as they flew, now rapidly flapping their wings to let their black shiny feathers fall on their master's shoulder.

The flames now rapidly danced more than ever when Rei realised that the ravens had given such a reaction at that time. Like what they usually do on ominous times, Phobos had let some of her shiny feathers fall onto Rei's shoulders as a warning.

_It can't be... _Rei worriedly asked herself, opening her eyes fully to see that someone else had arrived. Who else would elicit such a reaction from Phobos and Deimos?

And now flying towards the exit, the two ravens flew past Kamui Asano's side, who was now standing in the middle of the doorway.

- tsuzuku -

---------------------------------------------  
**chiisai noto:**  
Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) What can I say? Many things happened to everybody, especially to Rei and Kamui today. sigh I realized that everybody has been advancing in their destinies. I always figured Makoto would be the first one to advance... except... well, do you always get what you expect? ;) Minako, on the other hand, will always have a really cute plot. I finally found a plot for Ami-chan, since she's such an achiever. So of course, she'd be attracted to someone who's like that too. (Remember her manga story, _Ami no Hatsukoi_?) As for Rei... well, this is really how I've seen this pictured in my head and trust me, I feel more sorry for everybody. (Kinda strange, ne?) The next chapter ... should say what a real political aftermath should be for them all.


	13. 11: Tension

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 11 - Tension**

**Jisho/Dictionary:****  
****ANOO... : **(An expression) Ummm...  
**BAKA: **moron, idiot  
**MIKO: **Shrine attendant  
**OJII-SAN: **Grandfather  
**OMEDETOU!** : Congratulations!**  
OMI-AI: **Matchmaker. (Usually a friend or relative, but there are also dating services who do this, like what Minako goes to.)  
**NADESHIKO**: Yamato Nadeshiko. Japanese ideal woman. (Traditionally one with docile eyes, long silky black hair, in kimono)  
**SENPAI:** What younger students call their senior students/peers at school.  
**SENSEI**: Teacher.**  
****SENSHI: **Soldier/Warrior. All of them are called sailor _senshi_.  
**SOU KA…**: Is that so/ So that's why…  
**SUGOI:** That's great!  
**TAKARAZUKA: **An all women theater. (Women actors both play men and women's parts.)  
**YOUMA: **Monster/Demon. (The senshi fought youmas in the first season.)

* * *

**In the Previous Chapter:****  
**The senshi and the four boys finally meet in what they thought was Sanjounin's 'great moving-in' with his girlfriend, Makoto. (But only his instruments moved in actually.) It was a big surprise for everybody because now, all their paths finally converged to one. But while Makoto and Sanjounin are growing closer, not everybody is as lucky. Minako has no luck yet with the _omi-ai_ (matchmaker), especially when the matchmaker matches Minako to himself. (An episode when Minako's "violent" tendencies surprised Kenta-kun.) Soujirou also has no luck with Ami despite his "incredible good looks, popularity and intelligence"; he is still constantly seeking ways for her to notice him. And when Kamui finally thought that he would get lucky in getting to know more of the elusive Rei Hino, he suddenly catches her in Hikawa Jinja … locked in a kiss with Kaidou-san. 

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

* * *

_Ninichi. Nanagatsu. (September 2)_

Kamui Asano uttered no sound when he saw what had happened Not even a sigh. His eyes remained impassionate and his lips were still. All he did was turn around and walk towards the shrine steps in his usual pace. He walked with both hands in his pockets … silent as he went down the stairs of Hikawa Jinja in slow and calculated steps.

Phobos and Deimos were perched atop the _torii_ post, watching him walk down. This they did with great caution because although they did not see any bold expression of anger in his face, they had never felt this great a fear around him with his aura reaching as far a distance down the steps of Hikawa Jinja from the _torii_ post where they were perched.

* * *

_Yonnichi. Nanagatsu. (September 4)_

_"Anoo… Mizuno-san… do you like…"_

_"Really, Nishimura-san… we can't always go out like this. It's very unproductive! I have so many books that my sensei asked me to read and you still have to teach tomorrow. You do remember that it used to be really busy or you wouldn't have won your award-winning thesis?"_

_(cough She raised an eyebrow. How bossy….) "Actually, Mizuno-san… I get high marks on everything I do… it's not like it's a top secret space program for Japan."_

_(cough His turn to raise an eyebrow? How conceited….) "Well for me, until I become really famous like Mari Matsunaga-san (inventor of DoCoMo's I-mode), I can't stop working. Don't you admire people who work until they pass those high ranking standards?"_

_CLICK. A hand pressed the timer and adjusted his bright red pointed mask. _

"Check mate."

Soujirou nearly jumped when he heard his opponent scream. The sound his opponent made was a tingly, shrill scream that it wouldn't be surprising if it could break glass, or more easily, his eardrums. It was a good thing he improved his posture as soon as the cameras shot solely at him. He put his hand under his chin and posed so umm… androgynously (like the photos of the famous Matsujun he saw recently.) Soujirou practiced this pose all night for the cameras and also on the way to the studio using the back of his cel phone for a mirror.

A giddy middle-aged man dressed in a black suit ran up to his side and forcefully raised his hand in the air. "_Omedetouuuu! _You are going to the Iron Grandmaster semifinals!" the host shouted, surprising Soujirou again.

"What is your name again, masked man?" the host whispered in his ear amidst the audience's applause.

"_Anoo_… it's…." Soujirou then whispered the answer in the host's ear.

The host grinned. "_Omedetouuu!_ V-Knight is going to the semifinals!"

_V-Knight… let's see how Mizuno-san would react to that…_ Soujirou thought it was very original. After all, he is a guy and Sailor-V, a girl. They just happened to be both fighters for love and justice. Besides, his red pointed mask was studded with diamonds.

* * *

_Yonnichi. Nanagatsu. (September 4)_

"_Baka_… who is that idiot on television?" Makoto winced, pointing to the screen inside the mall.

Ami already heard what the show was about. Besides, the studio set and the chess board were all too obvious. So she gave one look and frowned. "I don't think we should bother with things like that anymore," Ami said, looking away. "This is the only time we're together…."

"_Sugoi_… isn't that guy posing like Sailor-V? He even has your mask on, Minako-chan!" Usagi pointed out, her eyes glued on the set and very curious.

"_Sou__ka!_ He also said that he is V-Knight!" Minako agreed, moving to the television closer to Usagi.

Ami looked again and they were right. There was a new contestant in Iron Grandmaster. The last weirdo who joined that dressed like Ultraman... It was a good thing he lost so early in the series so he was not able to desecrate the show further. Now this one…

"This _baka_ is winning… and this show is getting to be pretty famous," Rei commented, much to Ami's disappointment. (_You too, Rei-chan?_ Ami argued in her thoughts.)

"Why would a show about chess be famous?" Usagi asked. "It's too boring!"

"Usagi-chan didn't mean it in that way, Ami-chan," Makoto said, trying to save that blunder, given that Ami-chan was good at chess. "But this person… he really is idolizing Sailor-V…" (_… in a bad way_, Makoto added, to herself.)

"Well… chess is really a mind game. There are a thousand strategies for you and your opponent and it's hard to guess their moves so…" Ami-chan stopped at that. This was actually the only afternoon that she and her friends could be together because of her busy school schedule, and so had given up watching her guilty pleasure. She wasn't quite ready to announce that she had gotten swept up like everyone else in watching the Iron Grandmaster, because now everybody was just watching it for the cute guys who joined. Ami watched it for the game itself, proud to have liked chess from the beginning.

"I can't believe that someone would go out in public in a mask," Rei said. "What could he be hiding from?"

"Who is he hiding from?" Usagi asked. "Maybe he has a really scary face."

"_Waaaahhhh_… this person is desecrating Sailor-V!" Minako cried.

"_Anoo_… Minako-chan, you really don't watch this anyway, do you?" Ami asked because she was worried more for the television show than Sailor-V. "Besides, this guy won't last anyway. The last guy who lost even dressed like Ultraman."

"Yes, everybody dresses like classic superheroes nowadays…" Usagi pointed out… which had no sense or contribution to the conversation.

"Will he really, Ami-chan?" Makoto interjected. "They just said that he's moving onto the semifinals and has won 5 out of 5 matches."

_Oh no…. _Suddenly, nothing but _baka_ rang in Ami's head seeing that Sailor-V impostor.

"Well, there's no sense watching people we don't like, is there?" Rei said impatiently, walking away from the television.

Ami, of course, was seething inside so furiously so she was the first to walk with Rei away from it. _How can they let another baka win in the Iron Grandmaster? But no… nobody can cheat in chess! Everything is played so professionally! _Anyway, there would be a replay of that at 11 in the evening so she can forego all her Chemistry Analysis until 2 am just to see how this _baka_ was able to get through to the semifinals.

Minako-chan was crying all the way, following the others, with Usagi consoling her. Everybody who dared to don a mask was ever so cool: from Kaitou Ace to Tuxedo Kamen and especially Sailor-V (because it was _her_). But this V-Knight? He may have cool hair and the shape of his face may look nice but nerds should be banned from desecrating the memory of Tuxedo Kamen!

The rest were so much in a hurry since they only had a few more hours to get together and talk. Usagi quickly shouted that they're going to go to that new ice cream place and treat Minako-chan to some desserts. Everybody thought that was a cool alternative to watching Iron Grandmaster. Makoto definitely thought so, but after a few minutes, she caught sight of something that made her stop...

In Makoto's eyes, it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It was made of genuine duchess satin with a defined bodice that was cut to the waist like a princess's dress.

_It can't be…_ Makoto whispered in such awe. There, inside the small and elegant bridal boutique, it stood. It was actually one of those dreams she had in high school which she hadn't thought about since then. But Makoto didn't quite realize it was possible for the wedding gown she had dreamed of to be real. She was sure this was the exact dress in her dreams.

So it was no surprise that she'd be totally mesmerized by it; and it would have the power to hypnotize her into coming to that little store, just to touch it to see how it felt like. When she did, Makoto was absolutely sure it was how the cloth was as in the way she imagined it.

She would be wearing it and walking down the aisle marked with daffodils and white lilies... In an old church. Just thinking about it made Makoto sigh.. She tried to imagine Sanjounin's face but it was not him who was standing there to wait for her. Makoto just couldn't picture it. She even laughed at it. Sanjounin was cute, but he just didn't seem to fit into that scene.

"Do you like it, miss? I designed this just a month ago and I think it needs a lot of work."

A deep male voice? Makoto didn't expect that but all the more so when she turned around to see that, after some long awkward silence on the part of the guy that Makoto examined closely like he wasn't from Earth, she realized that all the dreams she had in high school were indeed coming back.

There was no mistake in who she really thought he was. He just looked older, of course.

Makoto laughed and called him like how she used to in high school.

"_Senpai?_"

* * *

_Juyonichi. Nanagatsu. (September 14)_

"This is so strange…."

"What's strange, grandpa? Do you want to rest? You look really tired." Rei said those three sentences in quick succession, immediately laying down her broom to go near her grandfather.

"No, it's okay," her grandfather assured. "It's just that… it's been a long time that we haven't seen him and I still feel his strong presence all around here."

"Whose?"

Her grandfather took Rei's hand, folded her fingers till they were clenched, and tried to fit her fist to the dent in the wall of the Shrine Sanctuary. "His," her grandfather answered. That fist was definitely larger than hers.

She gasped. She … had not seen this before. But she knew whose it was as soon as her fist touched that wall. Her grandfather had recognized that too by the same means of feeling the presence their spirits left, because he was close to Kamui.

"What happened, Rei-chan?"

There is nothing to talk about. So why would she have to say anything?

Her grandfather understood that face too. So he smiled and laid down her hand gently. "Sou da…" he sighed. "Don't be scared, child. It's very rare for you to experience feeling this. Don't let pride and fear cripple you."

Her grandfather grinned when she reacted with a haughty huff. "He's not coming back anyway."

And only did he see Rei Hino's prideful aura change into something… weaker.

* * *

_Juyonichi. Nanagatsu. (September 14)_

"What are you staring at out there?" she said cheerfully and searched outside the window where he was looking at. "Oh I see… the leaves of fall are beautiful out there!"

He nodded.

"Asano-san?" she asked, tilting her head to one side to examine his expression. "So you're not staring at the leaves?"

"No…."

"Is something wrong?"

She caught on so quickly. "I'm sorry, Suzaku-sama," he bowed and apologized. Forcing a smile, he said, "That was very impolite of me."

"That's okay, Asano-san," Suzaku smiled cheerfully. "You can be yourself around me."

She stated that like it was a command even though it was worded out politely. (And not realizing the irony in that.) But only five minutes later, Nishida came in, announcing that the limousine was ready to pick up Suzaku-sama, and that Kamui's guest has also arrived. Just in time, much to Suzaku's disappointment. It seems that in the two weeks that she met Kamui, he was quick enough to get used to her hectic schedule.

Nishida had forgotten to ask Sanjounin to wait before the "proper" goodbyes were said, so Sanjounin had hastily entered the room. He wore a look of surprise when he realized that Kamui still had a 'visitor.' And this visitor was someone who Sanjounin only read in newspapers and the local news.

"Gomen…" Sanjounin even apologized informally. He had gigs in various clubs and always had his fair share of meeting lots of celebrities … except this kind… if she really were who he thought she was. He wasn't sure even staring at her so close that she tried to back off with the strength of his stare.

"For a while there, I thought you were the princess," Sanjounin wondered out loud.

"Suzaku-sama, this is my good friend, Masato Sanjounin-san," Kamui still introduced formally despite the circumstances. He remembered her saying that she would like to know a lot of 'normal' people, including--or especially--his friends. "Masato-san, this is Suzaku-sama."

Sanjounin coughed, choking on that. "It is my honor to meet you," Sanjounin bowed low when the identity of Kamui's visitor was confirmed, trying to keep his composure. He was debating in his mind if he was still supposed to curtsey after that.

Suzaku chuckled. "I'm pleased to meet you too, Masato-san," she bowed to acknowledge. "I do hope to talk to you soon! I'm sorry that I have to leave now to get to my next appointment." She then turned to Kamui and bowed, "This has been a good meeting, Asano-san. Thank you very much for inviting me."

Kamui bowed lower. "It is my pleasure to meet you, Suzaku-sama. I hope to see you again soon."

Sanjounin had risen earlier from his bow and a huge sweatdrop fell on top of his head when he saw that Kamui was still bowed low after he had politely and very formally said his goodbye. He felt completely embarrassed at that moment, though shrugged it off after a while, knowing that he was not used to that kind of protocol. It was only when Suzaku-sama had left the room that Kamui rose… which was also Sanjounin's cue to finally shake off all this formality and be around his friend again.

"Sugoi… that was actually Suzaku-sama?" Sanjounin asked in disbelief, his eyes almost popping out in surprise. "The daughter of our own Emperor? So that's why you're dressed formally in your own house!"

"Hai…" Kamui nodded, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Wow… Asano-dono must really have a lot of contacts…." Sanjounin was referring to Kamui's father and grinned at this realization. He had actually met 'the' Imperial princess. She looked the same as she was in the newspapers – a simple girl with a cheerful disposition. He was expecting she'd be prettier in person and he was glad that she didn't turn out to be a snob as well. And to meet her in the very home of his buddy, Kamui Asano… that is just… matte… what is Suzaku-sama doing in Kamui's house?

"Kamui… Suzaku-sama… do you mean that your father …?"

Kamui nodded and took a glance at the window.

"This is a bigger fiancée that Yuuka! No wonder Yuuka has stopped hounding you—"

"Let's go, Sanjou-kun."

"This must be hard for you then, Kamui! How can you break it off with the princess? It would be difficult for your family—"

"Let's go, Sanjou-kun."

Kamui actually didn't sound angry when he reiterated that he wanted to leave. He didn't sound like he felt anything. His face was literally blank. Only those close to him could tell, but Sanjounin knew that Kamui would not tell him at this point...and he would not badger him further. The good thing about male friendships is that they respect the borders that people put up during times of self-preservation.

So Sanjounin merely nodded and smiled. "Let's go, Kamui-kun."

* * *

_Jugonichi. Nanagatsu. (September 15)_

The fateful day that Kamui had come across Rei and Kaidou-san locked in a kiss only sunk in today. Rei kept telling herself that she wasn't at fault, but questioned the reason as to why she has to give all these justifications in her head over that simple matter. Kaidou-san kissed her and Kamui saw them both. Why can't both of them ask her what the real reason was? Isn't that just very simple to do?

What did she say to Kaidou-san at that time? She was unsure… probably nothing. When Phobos and Deimos flew past Kamui-san, he had left and she ran to see what Kamui-san would do. Rei still saw him walk down the first few steps of Hikawa Jinja and justified to herself that it would be too late to catch him. It's not my fault anyway.

All the more so when she had seen him the other day in the mall past Azakusa, walking with Nishida. It was an extremely awkward time for Rei and she was sure walking down the other path would be too obvious because Kamui had already seen her. She knew Nishida did. But why should she feel guilty over this? It's not her fault anyway.

But would she greet him first? Of course not. It was very much unlike her. Kamui-san would always do the first step. Kamui always saw Rei before she even realized that he was there. Seeing him the other day was a first in about two weeks since Kamui set foot in Hikawa Jinja. And walking towards her, Rei thought that he was well. He looked well. He looked the same. He did not look angry or sad. And he did not even look at her when he walked past. His impassive eyes focused straight on the path, making her heart beat faster than before she had seen him. The first time, it was complete anxiety over how Kamui would react. He was obviously angry at something she hadn't done. At something he didn't even ask about! And it was not her fault!

Usually, this sailor senshi would see the right aura of her suspect and consult the answer in the Sacred Fire, but the apparent lack of judgment caused her to seethe away in anger that really, she was on fire inside!

Today, Rei did poorly in all her Shrine duties and could not concentrate on her studies or on the campaign to help her father's social activities. The lack of concentration was evident with the spilled juice on her skirt, and bumping with someone earlier at lunch. During archery class, a strand of her hair had stuck to the quiver, leaving a side of her hair horrifically messed up during the entire day. And finally, she got a reprieve when her professor excused her to get out of class to go to an appointment in the faculty meeting room. (And then asking her out loud to read the sixteen pages of textbook that she was supposed to read before allowing her to step out.)

No one had this sudden extreme case of misfortune. The cheerful ones like Usagi and Minako usually were too oblivious to notice it happening to them. Not even Rei could carry this kind of burden in style. On her way to the faculty meeting room, the last thing on her mind was contemplating on what to tell Kamui-san about what really happened. Even if he didn't ask her. Even if it wasn't her fault. Those all seemed less important when her grandfather's last words rang in her ears, "He's not coming back anyway."

_"Konnichiwa, _Hino-san," the man who later introduced himself as Ohburo-san greeted her, wearing a very formal black suit and a suit case on the desk. Ohburo-san gave Rei his card and she soon found out that he was a lawyer.

"I represent Asano Junichiro-dono and his family, including Asano Akiko and Asano Kamui," Ohburo-san said.

"And what is this regarding?" Rei asked quite anxiously, now wondering what it is she had done for the Asano to send their lawyer.

"I am here to give a proposal to you, Hino-san," Ohburo-san, getting a little recording type of device from his suitcase and clicking on the button, making sure that the red light was on before he spoke. "I am sure you would find it quite acceptable."

Rei nodded, her eyes narrowing in curiosity and suspicion.

"As you know, Asano Junichiro-dono is poised to become the next prime minister and he will be so in a matter of time. His son, Asano Kamui, is his only heir. His father had made a thorough search of all partnerships that would be profitable but Kamui-dono would not consider it. And for that, although father and son do not agree on a choice, they agree on the criteria. That person would be someone who is beautiful, smart, from a good scholastic and family background, and is preferably a traditional nadeshiko."

"What do you mean, Ohburo-san? What kind of partnership is this?"

"A lifetime partnership, Hino-san. Asano-dono thinks that you possess all that criteria."

"What…? What does this mean?" Rei could not believe what she was hearing.

"This means, Hino-san. That Asano-dono is proposing to marry you."

"WHAT?" Rei was able to shout but then her strength now drained from all that anger.

"There is nothing wrong with this, Hino-san. Usually, political families like yours go through a matchmaker and would normally ask your father first before you. Besides, you must admit that you are the most viable candidate, which is actually a compliment. Asano-dono would like to assure you that he will take care of the Hino always and –"

"—Shut up! I'm not going to be forced into anything! I'm not a business proposal!" Rei scolded in great anger, filling the room with a sharp echo. "Who do the Asano think they are and think they can rule the world!"

Ohburo-san was tactful enough to keep silent and stopped to mention the rest of his 'proposal.' The device he was holding was beeping and Rei noticed that the light flashed continuously.

"If Kamui-san is only brave enough to ask me directly…" she continued, banging her fist furiously on the table. "… to ask me about what I feel. I'm not a set of criteria!"

"I-I am s-sorry, Hino-san," Ohburo-san apologized nervously, in between sweating and trying to remain professional.

Rei gave him the most piercing look enough to freeze a youma on its path. It was practically a kiss of death, a promise that the one who received it would be burned by her own fire once she met them. She wanted this to be the message to that particular Asano. But when she hastily left that meeting room, Rei realized that she did not have to kill the messenger.

Kamui Asano was standing just outside the room, holding the same device as Ohburo-san was holding. The light was flashing. It was a mini-radio similar to the one Ohburo-san was holding. This only meant that Kamui heard everything. And for awhile, there was the longest moment of silence ever between two past antagonistic romance heroes, with each one ready for the kill but neither willing to begin the tragedy. Rei wondered why he had taken so long to say anything, since she was restraining herself to speak at that moment. Kamui looked so surreal, too cold, too aloof and yet the aura that surrounded him was too intense even Rei knew it was wise to wait for him to speak… but that she would be ready to pounce on whatever he said.

"Rei-san… what do you feel about me?" Kamui finally asked with his eyes completely dull and his voice brooding with indifference.

"Because…" he continued. "I don't know."

Two voices had struggled again in Rei's head. Of pride, it spoke that it wasn't her fault, and the other was her grandfather's reminder that Kamui will never be back anyway. This presented such a dilemma; it overrode her anger against him. Rei looked down, exhaled heavily and decided to leave Kamui without any answer.

That was Rei's best choice for revenge. Kamui only saw the most beautiful eyes looking at him with anger. That was the only thing that moved him past pragmatic indifference. His fist had created another dent, this time on the metal trash bin where it had landed. But it was too late. Kamui knew from the start that if this action was used, it can never be undone.

* * *

_Jugonichi. Nanagatsu. (September 15)_

_Minako-chan got the lead role in the new famous Youji Take play. _

_"Agggh! I just want to die! How can my lead actress back out of this when we're showing in a few months!" _

_"Don't die, Take-san. It's not a good time."_

_He coughed to that indifference. "Maeda-san, then what is your solution right now? Konishi-san said that she won't bother to give me a replacement."_

_He gulped at the mention of that name. "Ask Aino-san to read a few lines," he said simply._

_"Who the hell is Aino-san?"_

_This was where even Minako-chan was surprised when Kenta-san was pulling her onto the stage and plopped the script into her hands. Her face was blank frozen like a stone wall, much like the surprised look of Youji Take, the director._

_"Maeda-san… who is she?"_

_"Aino-san can even do a male voice better than the actors in the takarazuka play. And recently, she sounded like a cat. Or a human cat…" _

Eh? Nobody really understood what Kenta-san was talking about. But by then, Youji Take was so desperate that when Minako uttered a few lines (with such drama, of course), he seemed ecstatic. There will be a lot of work, he said, and since Kenta Maeda can't change his schedule to move the play a few months more to get a new actress, Aino-san would be brilliant.

And of course, what did Minako-chan think? She felt she was not even second best, but a last resort! That was until Yoshiko reiterated that there would be at least three kissing scenes in this play with Kenta-san. That was one of the reasons, really. Who would pass up the chance to be in Youji Take's play? Youji Take won in the last film festival in Tokyo! What are the odds that the lead actress would be called off by her agent and Youji Take to be so proud as not to cancel his play?

Whatever the reasons were, Minako-chan would be proud of doing it. Even if she was the last resort. Many aspiring actresses got their big breaks because someone passed up these opportunities. And Minako would never ever let it pass her by after working so hard.

She even waited until midnight when everybody had left to have the stage all to herself and practice, like she usually did. And then tomorrow, she would call Usagi and the rest to celebrate! Nothing would've melted all the happiness today except…

"No, you don't have to come, Chiaki…"

That was Kenta-san's voice by the last row of seats. The place was quiet enough for her to hear him talking on his cellphone.

"I thought that we agreed … that as soon as I get here, everything between us would be professional?"

"No… no… I will never lose respect for you… Konishi-san."

Konishi? Isn't that the name Youji Take mentioned?

"That was good, Aino-san," this time Kenta-san's voice was clearer because he was just standing on the front line of seats looking up at her onstage.

"Really? I thought Take-san said that I need a lot of work…" she said humbly… and honestly.

"Yes, you do…" Kenta-san answered honestly as well. He nodded to her and walked slowly with that sullen look on his face, towards the exit.

"I will do it, Kenta-san," Minako said with much conviction, with her fist on her heart. "I'm going to work hard. Giving up is not what I do!"

Kenta-san was touched. It was only a play. Youji Take was not even that famous yet. That he agreed to star in the play was a last favor to … a friend, for whom he will never lose respect. But it was rare to see someone so dedicated as Aino-san was. Kenta-san forced a smile and only nodded to acknowledge.

Minako-chan did not lose the cheeriest of smiles she'd had since it was announced she would be the lead actress. She kept telling herself that she deserved it and would celebrate with Usagi and the rest. But she was also not naïve. She knew what Youji Take meant by "having a lot of work" in making her the lead actress. And of course, she knew who Chiaki Konishi is.

Or was. She was the girlfriend Kenta-san left in Australia.

* * *

_Jurokunichi. Nanagatsu. (September 16)_

The next day after the Asano's indecent proposal, Rei tried to start her day right by sweeping up the wooden floors of Hikawa Jinja. Her grandfather had commented that she was never this productive and asked her what was wrong. She would never admit to anything, of course and so it was clear to her grandfather that something bad had happened. He especially was keen to notice that it was Kamui Asano-related. Rei would still never admit to anything.

"If you don't want to talk about it, you must at least bring this," Rei's grandfather commanded her, handing her two pairs of charms.

"It's a charm for bringing peace to the bearer," he said before she could ask.

_"Arigato, ojii-san," _Rei thanked him. "I could use this right now."

"It's not for you," he said. "It's for you to give away."

"To whom?" She was extremely puzzled.

"To that person you're meeting today."

Her grandfather had that skill of understanding people's auras, just as Rei was blessed with that sixth sense. But he actually meant those charms to be given to Kamui Asano, to help his granddaughter in her peacekeeping efforts with him. Except, grandfather was human and he didn't know what had happened yesterday. He was right though that Rei would be meeting someone today and he deserved those charms too.

She was so furious yesterday and called Kaidou-san on the phone and angrily told him that they should meet. Kaidou-san had declined saying that he would be at home settling a very important meeting but Rei was too angry and insistent. She reminded him of his actions last week and demanded an answer. Kaidou-san wasn't able to say no to that.

Rei was able to reach Kaidou-san's house around 4 pm, the agreed time. Kaidou-san's house is fairly huge. It was an old ancestral house with a garden pond. Very much expected of a politician. But the name above the gate was "Saeki" instead of "Kaidou." Rei almost thought that she was at the wrong address until somebody answered the door and confirmed it was Kaidou-san's house.

Rei was asked to wait by the steps near the garden and as she was sitting there, she realized that the current prime minister was Saeki-dono. This must be… his house? Why did Kaidou-san lead her here?

"Please stay for awhile…"

At this distance, the voice was faint but she was sure it was Kaidou-san's voice. Her sixth sense didn't alert her of anything. It was plain curiosity, so unlike Rei, but just now, she followed that instinct. Rei slowly walked to the place where she could actually hear more of Kaidou-san's voice. It could solve this little puzzle of the link between him and Saeki-dono.

"Please stay for a little while…" Kaidou-san repeated. He sounded like he was pleading.

And Rei could hear clearly that the next sigh was that of a woman. This eavesdropping distance was close enough then. "We have talked about this many times," she said. "Risa-chan still needs to study for school tomorrow."

"Today is probably the last time. What difference will a few minutes make?" Kaidou-san argued.

"A few minutes make a lot of difference. You should've realized that during the last five years," she said pointedly. "Now, it is final."

"I do realize it now. Can't she still stay for a little while?"

A pause. "I want to stay for a little while, mama…."

_Risa-chan? That voice was Risa-chan's!_

"Risa-chan… you know what I explained to you?" her mother asked. "The one that I explained again and again… that Papa and I—"

"—I know, Mama. You can just count from one to twenty and then Papa and I will be done!" It sounded quite cheerful even though Risa-chan knew what was going to happen to her and her father.

"Papa… " Risa-chan began, obviously ignoring her mother's response. "Tomoko-chan told me that Osaka is far, but you will visit me, right? I want us to play that game with the koi…."

Rei made a little step and peeked a little because by this time, she had heard frantic footsteps. And where she stood, she was able to see through the space in the sliding door of Risa-chan with her arms around her father. The time spent was a count past twenty, and it was a good thing that Risa-chan's mother had allowed it.

"I'll see you again, Risa-chan…" Kaidou-san told his daughter, unclasping her embrace and gently pinching her cheeks.

Nanako then clung to her daughter's hand and the moment clearly had no bearing on her. Her face remained blank. "You have signed the papers, Hisato?" she asked him.

Kaidou-san nodded.

_"Arigatou…" _Nanako gave a curt bow after thanking him and then exited to the door where Rei had peered, with her daughter in tow. Rei quickly managed to slip away unnoticed right in time. Even when she saw that Nanako and Risa-chan were past the gate, Rei decided it was best to give Kaidou-san a few minutes to himself. She even needed a few minutes to process all that she had seen and heard. Rei sat by the wooden stairs near that exit which faced the sand garden… wanting to sink into it because she was thinking how insensitive she was to force Kaidou-san into meeting her when he obviously had bigger problems than she had. That she was only at Kaidou-san's house now because of that baka Kamui Asano… who had asked her to marry him.

Marry him because she is the daughter of Ryoichi Hino. He can't really be serious, can he?

"I was told just now that you had arrived twenty minutes ago." Rei was surprised to hear Kaidou-san behind her. "Were you waiting here all along?" Kaidou-san asked, sitting beside her facing the sand garden.

_"Haii…" _Rei answered.

"Long enough to hear the conversation in the living room?"

Rei blushed. "I chanced upon it," she lied, which was again unlike her. "I thought you wanted a few more minutes alone after that so I didn't go in and call for you." She put up the charms in front of his face.

"Here… my grandfather said that this would bring peace to whoever had it!" Rei tried, embarrassed.

Kaidou-san nodded, took the charm in his hands and adjusted his glasses. "I guess you now know that the divorce is final."

"Divorce?" Rei was incredibly surprised at that. She didn't hear that part. Now everything else made sense….

"Yes… today is the last day that I spent with Risa-chan," Kaidou-san told her morosely. "And probably the last time I'll see her."

_"Gomen nasai, _Kaidou-san…. I didn't know…."

"It's okay, Rei-san. Nanako and I agreed that she would pick up Risa-chan at four. Risa-chan was here since the morning so I got to spend time with her."

"Why can't Risa-chan stay the whole day with you?"

"Nanako was able to get custody of Risa-chan after the divorce. Normally, fathers would get custody of their children because they're the ones who can provide for them but I don't think I can fight with the prime minister and his family."

Prime Minister Saeki? Nanako was originally Nanako Saeki? So that is why… Rei did remember that Kaidou-san married the daughter of the DLP deputy prime minister at that time! Nanako had chosen to spend a full day with Risa-chan in her father's house to make sure that she still had custody.

"Why didn't you fight for her, Kaidou-san?"

"Fight for Nanako?" he sighed. "Nanako realized that she was sick of politics and can't stand my hectic schedule. She was opting for a divorce since we were separated last year and it just finalized last month."

"I meant, Risa-chan."

"Aaa…" Kaidou-san sighed again. He paused for a few minutes to look at the sand garden and smiled.

"What is it?" Rei was puzzled to see why he smiled at that.

"I remembered a conversation with you regarding having children… and I suppose that was why you asked me about Risa-chan," Kaidou-san said, still smiling on that memory. "It's complicated to say things about Nanako and me. She was a good person and I believe so was I. It's just too difficult to live with someone who doesn't share your dream."

"And about Risa-chan…" he continued. "I did fight for her. Nanako is as strong as all the Saeki so she did that too. Risa-chan is lucky to have two parents really caring for her so we just decided to stop all the fighting."

"I don't want to cause any more grief to my child, Rei-san," Kaidou-san said, the smile on his face fading. "I want her to have a good memory of me at least."

"…"

"Y-you're… not saying anything?"

"What do you want me to say?" Rei eyes widened in surprise at that.

Kaidou-san smiled and shook his head. "You really have changed all these years. You usually say something profound of what's on your mind."

"And you have become talkative," Rei snapped, smiling a little. "And a little… touchy."

"Gomen…I forgot that you have come here for that… incident," Kaidou-san apologized upon that realization, sitting up straight in order to tackle the issue.

"N-n-no… it's okay," Rei stammered at her assurance. "It's no longer necessary."

Kaidou-san held on to her arm to stop her from standing up to leave. "Your eyes haven't changed. It was because Asano Kamui-san was there?"

She shook her head. "It was because you kissed me."

Then Rei pulled away from that long pause because her cheeks were burning from the stare that Kaidou-san gave her. How could one look so sullen and then look at her like that?

"Not even I can explain that," Kaidou-san finally replied, still looking at her intensely. "You know I am the assigned matchmaker between you and Honohouchi Shigure-san."

"So you did this so that Kamui and I--?"

"—I thought you did not ask because Asano Kamui-san was there?"

Rei eyes narrowed in irritation. "It still matters to me that you and my father wanted to control the people that I choose."

Kaidou-san shook his head. "No, Rei-san. I took it upon myself to have Asano Kamui-san occupied somewhere so that Honohouchi-san could make his move. But during that day when I kissed you… that wasn't part of the plan."

"It wasn't? …" she whispered.

"It was actually the only time in my life that I acted on impulse," Kaidou-san bowed his head, explaining. "That I didn't think of a consequence of my actions of whether they led to another goal or not. It was the first time that I gave in to what I was feeling."

Rei fell silent. And frozen. This was already leading to …

"You wanted to meet me because you wanted to be sure, don't you?" Kaidou-san asked, shaking Rei to her senses. "You sounded mad yesterday so something must have happened. Because during that time that I kissed you, you didn't…."

Kaidou-san paused when he saw Rei rise to her feet, trying to conceal the tension in her chest. But Kaidou-san was too swift not to let her escape and held on to her arm and quickly rose to his feet to stop her. There was all the more reason for Kaidou-san to do that because this was a movement of flight and a sign of guilt. And again, so much unlike Rei Hino, who met her battles head on.

"You must think I'm so unpredictable but this time I'm sure…" Kaidou-san whispered softly, leaning gently towards her. "Now I have what it takes to decide for myself without the expectations of your father or any person in the DLP."

Rei backed one step.

"And the one thing that I have decided on is you."

A gasp. It was only then that Kaidou-san saw that his distance was making her anxious of him. It was now his turn to feel guilty.

Rei wanted to say something and her lips moved but failed to make words. Kaidou-san heaved a sigh and smiled as some sort of reassurance. He bowed low to Rei Hino as a sign of respect. She was still the daughter of his predecessor, after all, and then, he slowly walked away from her.

* * *

_Nijuichinichi. Nanagatsu. (September 21)_

"Nishida, go and get Kamui. Maybe try his cellphone and tell him to meet me so we can discuss his schedule tomorrow."

"He's not here, Akiko-san. H-he… left and isn't answering his phone. He must've left it." Nishida gulped.

Akiko raised an eyebrow looking at Nishida with great suspicion. Seeing the sweat on his forehead, she now became sure that Nishida wasn't lying. She folded the paper she was reading and shrugged. "What is happening to Kamui?" Akiko pondered worriedly. "He's not talking! He's only like this when he has a really serious problem."

"Hai…"

"Normally, he says whatever is on his mind. Now he's annoyingly giving me all this one liner answers. It must be a serious problem! Kamui is only like that because he wants to think and think about it… as if he's strategizing for something as strategic like his father's campaign."

Nishida thought it wise not to answer. Akiko-san did not finish law at Waseda unlike her husband but she was the best… inquisitor.

"I know you know where he went," she stated in a matter-of-factly.

"To a shrine, Akiko-san!" Nishida panicked to answer. "It's just in Hikawa Jinja. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

Akiko exhaled slowly. "What is he doing in Hikawa Jinja?" she blinked twice.

"Well… he said he wanted to pray."

Nishida was not lying. Happening parallel to his mother's interrogation of Nishida, Kamui was nearly at the top of the great steps of Hikawa Jinja. It had taken him longer to climb them, at least a good twenty minutes, where he pondered his future at every single step. When there were at last only five remaining steps, he stopped to think whether to continue climbing or not. Just now, of course, when he could see the Shrine Sanctuary from this position, the tree where he first made his wish.

And the _torii _post.

There was nobody in sight in Hikawa Jinja except the two ravens atop that _torii _post. And they were still.

Phobos and Deimos saw Kamui even halfway through the steps of Hikawa Jinja and both agreed that they would be extremely cautious of him. But what to do though? There stood Kamui standing at the steps of the shrine and they could not read what he was thinking. His face was incredibly blank.

But Kamui still stood there looking at the two ravens. He took another step up and looked back at them again. Then another step.

And nobody did anything. It was the strangest silence of all until Phobos and Deimos saw Kamui breathe heavily and clench his fist that sent the wildest heartbeats in their little avian hearts.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" Kamui shouted angrily, causing Deimos to finally lose her balance so that she had to flutter both wings and regain her post.

Kamui then took the last few steps and hurriedly ran closer to the torii posts. He raised both his arms and stretched them wide open as if in surrender. Only his tone remained incredibly tense.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" Kamui shouted to Phobos and Deimos, waving his arms angrily at his predators.

"Here I am!""

Kamui approached them closer and, clenching both fists as his arms remained wide open, he shouted, "KILL ME!"

If Phobos and Deimos were reincarnated like Luna, they would've replied, "Eh?" Sweatdrops on their foreheads and crickets chirping in the early morning resounded to that sentiment. But at least, they now knew what Kamui-san was feeling. Even if he was choosing seppuku by raven bites, neither Phobos nor Deimos wanted to oblige him with the honor. They felt safer atop that torii post than going anywhere near him to die by the aura of his rage.

With Kamui-san still looking at them, they were only afraid that he would force them to kill him. Their savior came just in time to defend them with his "magical" woodblock … which landed fiercely on Kamui's left cheek causing the kanji to leave an impression on his face.

The woodblock was similar to the tablet that was used to make wishes to the gods. Kamui felt the pain in his cheek even as it was a merciful blow to knock him to his senses. But still, he was in a fragile position and wanted to deck whoever that person was right then, but he knew it wasn't right. So instead, Kamui gave a piercing stare as retaliation, restraining his own fists.

"What? You want me to throw you my sandal?" Rei's grandfather asked sarcastically, pointing to the traditional wooden sandals he wore that weighed almost like a dumb bell. "I assure you, I won't miss, you know!"

The old man's sarcasm did bring him back to his senses and Kamui bowed his head and snorted. "I'm sorry… ojiisan," he apologized.

"Maybe I should've thrown my sandal…." The old man continued, founding it safe to approach Kamui. "And that would've made up for the dent your fist made on my wall."

Kamui sighed and bowed. "I'm sorry, ojiisan. I'll pay for it."

The old man laughed and shook his head. He was now tugging at Kamui's shirt and pulling him towards the inner Hikawa Jinja since Kamui tried to go back down the steps after that last polite apology. "You always think you have a solution for everything,_ Asano-san," ojiisan _said. "But you don't always have the right ones, especially now."

"I'm sorry, _ojiisan," _Kamui apologized again, too embarrassed to loosen himself from the old man's pull. "I always keep my word and I promise to pay for it."

"Not that,_ baka! _You're not going to solve anything by saying goodbye to her!"

Kamui paused and wondered how the old man knew. He was already being forced to the courtyard where he could see the main Sanctuary.

"And the Asano clan pride themselves that no one can force them to do what they don't want to do…_ baka!"_

That was the second_ baka. _

_"Baka!"_

"What?" Kamui finally reacted to that third one.

"I said it again just in case you're wondering what I was thinking," the old man said, that he had successfully dragged Kamui to the platform leading to where the Sacred Fire was kept. "There. Go inside." He was pointing to that room.

"Why?"

"You didn't come here to pray?" The old man asked sarcastically.

Kamui looked at the place where Rei's grandfather was pointing to. In a few seconds, his face mustered a scowl as he stared at that place and did not see it as a place peaceful enough to do what the old man asked.

"This is where it all happened," ojiisan said. "It is the best place for you to finally find the solution instead of torturing yourself with your thoughts and sacrificing yourself to the innocent ravens. You have to confront your problems directly instead of hiding from them. And that is the only place you can ask Kami-sama."

"Ask? I have already decided. I need an answer today."

"Why this urgent?" The old man asked calmly.

Kamui looked straight at the Meditation Room where the Sacred Fire was. It was his constant reminder. "It's complicated… but I have to make a decision tomorrow... and an announcement would have to be made next week."

Kamui's gaze was fixated at the Meditation Room and was not able to see the look of disappointment on the old man's face. He was not new to thise kind of 'complications.' His own daughter many years ago had once mentioned those words when he could not understand the intricacies of her betrothal to Ryoichi Hino. And to any of his questions, his daughter would simply answer, "It's okay, father. It is complicated."

Nevertheless, thank Kami-sama that the old man was wise enough never to give up. He tugged at Kamui's arm. "You must go in," ojiisan commanded coolly. "You will get an answer today."

Kamui's scowl faded. It would be no disrespect to do what an elder asked of him and it would be no loss for him to seek an answer that day so he walked towards the Room.

"One other thing, Asano-san," ojiisan told him. "You must approach the Sacred Fire. It has a secret."

It was probably some sort of cryptic phrase, Kamui thought to himself. He did make his way to the entrance and remembered how happy he was that day on climbing these steps. Rei Hino said 'yes.' She had never accepted an invitation from him sincerely. But before that day, she said 'yes' to have dinner with him. It sounded real. That day, the drums in his chest were pounding widely in excitement. He had missed a great opportunity the day he took Rei with him to the family shrine but at least, he got to know her better. It may have sounded strange (especially if he were to speak of it to Sanjou-kun) to have missed the kiss from someone he truly wanted but hearing her speak of what's in her heart… to be told about secret things such as what she felt for her mother, for instance… Kamui-san ran with anticipation to hear more stories like that from Rei Hino.

That was until he saw Rei and Kaidou.

Kamui saw the dent on the wall that he knew he had caused. And feeling the crack in his fingers, he realized that he was as shallow as any average guy. He wanted that kiss badly and was extremely crushed for having missed that kiss. So that missed opportunity was still etched in his memory so vividly – of Rei and Kaidou kissing against the fire.

How can the fire tell him a secret?

Then Kamui heard a gasp.

Rei Hino stood across from him and was also on her way to the Sacred Fire wearing the red and white robes of a miko. She looked surprised and quite uneasy, but she didn't say anything. Neither did Kamui. It was as if there was a sharp chasm in between them and neither ventured to make a step nor to say anything as to who will go first. The air was completely dense with pride and hurt.

When at last, Rei decided that she would take the initiative by making more steps, she inched closer to the entrance of the Sacred Fire. Kamui decided at that same instant to pick up the pace and catch up to her and tugged at her arm, giving Rei a quick jolt of surprise.

_"Ojiisan _said that I can use the room so you must go."

"What!" Rei asked in protest.

Kamui forcefully pulled her to one side away from the entrance and without looking back at her commanded, "You must go. You distract me."

Surprisingly too, Rei didn't say anything. She was too shaken from the latest turn of events and confused by two men at this point. In fact, she felt sympathy for Kamui-san now that she finally knew what Kaidou-san really intended when he kissed her. And she wanted to talk to Kamui-san again, much like the way they used to talk. Back when Kamui-san was the only one who could give her straight answers and Kamui-san was the only one who would disagree with her twice.

But Kamui did not want to talk. He had been thinking of things that are more long-term than Rei. So when he saw the Sacred Fire again, Kamui felt resentment since this was the backdrop of the kiss that he missed. Nevertheless, he had to decide today. Tomorrow, he would talk to his father and tell him his decision. And Kamui wanted to make sure that Rei Hino was not a factor in that decision… although moving towards the Sacred Fire, it seemed she still was.

He knelt down on his knees as soon as he reached the fire and closed his eyes. "Kami-sama…" he whispered as the memories of the things she said came rushing in that instant.

_"Anoo saa..." she struggled to speak, as she held on to her bouquet of casablancas. "I would just like to thank you... for the gift." _

_"Who are you calling baka?" she stared at him angrily, wearing an old gown and wiping the mucus under her nose._

"If you can just tell me, Kami-sama…" Kamui continued, trying his best to concentrate amidst the memories that circled his head.

_"In that case, we are kindred spirits," Rei's voice echoed of the one she spoke to him at the Sumida._

Irritation reached its height. Even if she were not in the same room, Rei Hino was a complete distraction in his prayers! He banged the floor with his fist and tried to erase thoughts of her to no avail.

_It was like as in the past… you chose a different path. _

Kamui opened his eyes and looked around to see who spoke in that whisper. There was no one and it was a different voice. He closed his eyes again.

_You thought that it was best to save the world. And decided that she was evil._

The hair on his skin stood on end as the whisper continued.

_Because you and she do not belong together._

Kamui opened his eyes because he could not stand the intense heat before him and when he did, he saw that the flames of the Sacred Fire had gone berserk with its flames almost reaching the ceiling. And there through the bluest flame was something like out of a dream. It was too blurry and it looked like the image of him and Rei Hino engaged in a kiss… and suddenly, something had separated them and both of them fell into oblivion. The scene in that fire was incredibly strange and it played on Kamui's memory because the last he saw was Rei stepping back three steps before Kaidou-san rushed in to press his lips against hers.

And after that, the flame died down and returned to how it was. Its embers cracking from the surge.

"What kind of demon is this?" Kamui asked, his hand pressed to his sweating forehead.

He quickly ran towards the exit of the Sacred Fire and stopped as soon as he was safely outside on the platform. Rei Hino was still there and found him by the door, panting… as if recovering from a chase. Still the coward that she was, she remained where she was and asked him, "Are you alright?" without sound coming from her mouth. For she was praying when he entered that Kamui would come out of there and at least talk to her for a little while.

Kamui turned to her instead and gave her a worried gaze. It was because the Fire did give him a secret that he already made a decision. To him at that point, Rei Hino was the most beautiful error he had ever made in his life.

He decided that that was the last time he would see her.

Rei didn't get the answer she had hoped for. She saw Kamui Asano run away from her without saying a word, not knowing that it took all his strength to do just that.

- tsuzuku -

---------------------------------------------  
**chiisai****noto:**  
Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) I'm so sorry for the long delay. I'm going to make two chapters in succession so enjoy this first. It's so busy… and I want the magical things to start already! So it is now starting here… even just a little hint. And it will start going full circle in the next one.


	14. 12: The Law of Fourth Chances

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 12 – The Law of Fourth Chances**

**Jisho/Dictionary:****  
ARIGATOU / DOMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU: **Thank you. (The latter is the more formal way of saying it.)  
**BAKA/BAKERO: **Moron, idiot, loser  
**BENTO: **Boxed lunch  
**DIET: **Japanese Parliamentary Government  
**GANGURO GIRLS: **Girls who tan their skin too much. A subculture in Japan.  
**HAI:** Yes  
**ICHI GO ICHI E: **Literally, 'One Time, One Meeting.' Usually translated as, "one chance in a lifetime."  
**KAMI-SAMA: **God  
**KOUHAI: **Called to someone who's younger or more junior than you in school  
**MANGA: **Japanese graphic novel. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon came from a manga. (But I'm sure you've heard this right? ;) Just making sure)  
**MIKO: **Shrine attendant  
**ODAIJINI! **Get well, soon!  
**OMI-AI: **Matchmaker. Usually a relative or friend, but some dating services are also called this, like that of Minako's.  
**OTAKU: **Obsessed fan. (This is a derogatory term for weird fanatics in Japan.)  
**-SAMA: **An honorific. Any name added with a –sama suffix means someone of an incredibly higher rank, like God or royalty.  
**SENPAI: **Called to an upperclassman, or someone who's more senior than you in school  
**SOU KA: **Is that right?  
**YOSHI! A**lright! (Or prelude to, "Let's do it!")  
**YOUMA: **One of the types of monsters the sailor senshi fought.

* * *

**In the Previous Chapter:****  
**Soujirou finally makes his debut on television by joining the Iron Grandmaster, a unique chess tournament in Japan. Masking himself as V-Knight as a tribute to Sailor-V, Soujirou breezes through 5 matches to make it to the semi-finals. Ami-chan is a (hidden) convert of the show and thinks the new V-Knight is … quite a disgrace. Minako in the meantime, becomes the lead actress in the play opposite Kenta Maeda but the happy bubble bursts when she overhears him speaking to Chiaki Konishi, his ex-manager and ex-girlfriend. Makoto has a surprise when she finally meets her "_senpai"_ in a wedding boutique in the mall. And finally, Rei Hino doesn't understand why Kamui has become cold to her and tension arose when she meets the Asano lawyer offering her a proposal to marry him. Enraged in thinking that Kamui simply thinks that the reason why he wants to marry her is because she is the most viable candidate for fiancée, she meets with Kaidou-san to clear once and for all why Kaidou-san kissed her and thus end the misunderstanding with Kamui. But she only learns that Kaidou-san has just finalized a painful divorce and is now more eager in confessing his feelings for her. Kamui has become confused, especially in his father's latest grand 'alliance' in matchmaking him with Princess Suzaku so he seeks guidance in the Sacred Fire only to find out its secret… 

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

* * *

… 

"Is this… the new kingdom?"

He sighed as he stood invisibly atop the signal lights of Shibuya, watching the bustling crowd walk on the crossed pedestrian way. It was the first time he had seen this many people, dressed in colorful layers of clothing and walking by so quickly as if they were always on a chase.

He brushed a tendril of his orange hair to the side of his ear, examining the clothes that he wore – the same formal set of silken shirt and trousers, with a small cape that reached only to his waist and very light metal armor on his chest. He realized that the people who walked past below him were feeling the early coolness of autumn, and he does even feel the least bit cold. And the new buildings that were set up removed the green and lush landscapes that he used to view from the castle.

He realized everything had changed except himself. And there was no one to ask.

"There's a reason why I was awakened just now," he said to himself, clenching his fist upon this realization. "They have managed to kill a great power like Beryl… but they cannot kill me."

_Nijusannichi. Kugatsu. (September 23)_

_I shall not fail!_

"Who was that?" Mamoru murmured.

Suddenly, he felt an ache on his chest that made him unable to continue walking on the sidewalks of Ginza. It sounded familiar… this voice he had heard and this presence was powerful enough to cause his chest to explode in deeper pain.

From where he stood, Kenta Maeda could see from the reflection in the glass of a man who was almost the same age as he was, bending down on the sidewalk and clutching onto his chest with his face clearly in agony. There were many curious passersby who would try to ask him if he was alright and then continue to walk away from him, cowardly accepting accountability.

Not only did this disgust Kenta-kun, but it was as though his first instinct was to go towards him and reach out for help. So it only took him a few seconds to run towards the man he would know later in the hospital as Mamoru Chiba. For now, Kenta was as judicious as he was in his past life, and put Mamoru's arm over his shoulder and quickly dragged him towards the bus loading station.

"Please hang on, sir… " Kenta told Mamoru. "We are only a few minutes to the hospital."

Mamoru coughed a few times and tried to ease the pain in his chest by trying to squeeze his chest muscles with his hands, but _it_ did not stop. He looked up at the kind stranger who came to his aid that instant and tried to smile to express his gratitude. Only, Kenta was alarmed to see Mamoru cough and spit blood on the sidewalk, which frantically drove his adrenalin to walk faster in this critical situation.

But something else had alarmed Kenta even more. The stranger he was helping was in a delusion in thanking him because this stranger told him…

"_Arigatou_… Kunzite."

* * *

_Nijusannichi. Kugatsu. (September 23)_

_We have a sworn duty to our prince!_

"What were you saying, Kamui?" Nishida asked for the third time, snapping with his fingers to wake Kamui who was stuck in some sort of trance. "Prince?"

Kamui chuckled. "Nothing, Nishida," he answered.

"So I guess this means that you've told your father about your decision to marry Suzaku-sama?"

Kamui's smile faded into a blank expression. He shook his head and started walking away from Nishida. "It was about a dream I had," Kamui told Nishida. "It was a very strange dream. I dreamt I was a protector of a great prince… from a really weird land…."

"Hmm… " Nishida hummed and started walking behind Kamui. "I think this is in parallel with your current situation. All you're thinking about is royalty!"

Kamui laughed at Nishida's immediate dismissal. "I suppose so, Nishida."

"So what happened just now in the meeting with your father? What decision did you give him?"

"I told him that I prayed to Kami-sama and I will go with that answer."

Nishida snorted and patted Kamui's arm. "What did your father say to that?"

Kamui stopped and looked up. "He sensed that I was unsure and I admitted that I was," Kamui laughed for a minute. "Nobody can lie to my father. I never even tried, but… "

"But?"

"He said that since we need to have a decision by today, he's going to accept it. And he reminded me that a man would never back down on his word."

"So you are now engaged to Princess Suzaku?" Nishida's mouth was agape from the suspense.

Kamui nodded, looking really serious. "An announcement is going to be made this week in the DLP's celebration party."

Nishida squinted and thought, rubbing his chin with his fingers. "And?" Nishida inquired further.

Kamui laughed quietly, amused that Nishida really knew the elder Asano long enough. "My father said that my fate now relies on the Law of Fourth Chances," Kamui told Nishida, which only made the latter now squint in bewilderment.

"Law of Fourth Chances?" Nishida scratched his head. "What is that?"

Kamui shrugged and laughed. "It's too strange… you won't understand, Nishida. You know my father… he invents things."

* * *

_Nijusannichi. Kugatsu. (September 23)_

"Really? … I'm glad… Is that so?"

"What did she say?" Michiru asked impatiently, wanting to grab Haruka's cel phone even before the latter could finish the conversation.

"_Aaa_…" Haruka replied to the one she was speaking to, and calmly gesturing to Michiru to wait. Finally, she nodded and wished "_Odaijini_" before she snapped her flip phone to end the call.

"_Usa-ko_ says that Mamoru-san is alright," Haruka then announced to Michiru and the other senshi – Makoto and Minako - who were seated on the loft leading to the Main Sanctuary to Hikawa Jinja. "She was actually surprised when she got to the hospital to see Mamoru-san looking fine as though nothing had happened."

"_Usa-ko_?" Michiru repeated to sneer at Haruka's term of endearment towards Usagi. (It was a term usually used by Mamoru, and Haruka, in the past, had tried to flirt with Usagi as others like Seiya of the Three Lights.)

"I tried to call her on her cel phone but she wasn't answering," Minako explained with her head bowed, feeling disappointed that she responded late to that responsibility, having left her phone in the dressing room for her rehearsal. "Maybe we can all go there to see Mamoru-san."

Haruka shook her head. "No need," she said, smiling. "Usagi-chan sounded cheerful and said that she wanted to go home with him to cook some _agedashi__tofu_. I'm sure he's alright."

"Yes… that does sound like Usagi-chan…" Michiru giggled.

"Minako-san is still right. We have to check on Mamoru-san," Rei spoke softly that all the other senshi leaned closer to hear her since she was about two feet away from them and sweeping the fallen leaves in the Shrine.

"It's a very strange occurrence… for Mamoru-san to suddenly be sick and then be well in just a few hours," Rei added, speaking so seriously.

"Rei-chan, you don't mean that this is … a new enemy?" Makoto asked, leaving all the senshi to gasp in surprise.

"Do you sense anything new, Rei-chan?" Haruka seriously asked.

Rei sighed and still looking incredibly somber, she walked towards the other senshi who were immediately affected by her mysterious aura. "Michiru-san… do you see anything new in your mirror?" Rei asked, referring to Sailorneptune's mirror that could see certain places in the present time.

Michiru shook her head. "I haven't seen anything new, Rei-chan," Michiru replied. "Hotaru-chan and Setsuna also haven't told us anything that they sensed as strange."

"_Ahh_… _sou…_" Rei mumbled, her eyes squinting because she was still trying to digest something from Michiru's answer. She was so deep in thought that she didn't realize that she was climbing up the platform steps towards the house's entrance and then … Rei stopped there without opening the door. She stood there for about two minutes. Sweatdrop above the heads of all the _senshi_

"Well… Rei-chan is usually right when she senses these things," Minako told them, herself bewildered since Rei didn't move when she started talking. "But Michiru-san's mirror didn't see anything and Setsuna-san would tell us of some disturbances if there were any. So there must be something else …."

Haruka, Michiru and Makoto (except Rei who was still stuck in some sort of trance) were surprised to hear this sort of objective conclusion drawn by Minako. After Galaxia, she was her usual happy, bubbly self and lately, engrossed with the Kin beer sensation that was Kenta Maeda. But today, Minako sounded like she was in authority … like the leader of the sailor _senshi_ that she was in the Silver Millenium.

"_Anoo_…" Minako-chan continued, resting her chin on her hand to think until her serious expression changed to a wide, mischievous Minako-P grin. "Of course it is! Rei-chan is just inlove!"

"Eh?" That was enough to bolt Rei out of her tranced state to … probably that of an upcoming denial.

"Inlove?" Michiru giggled and cooed excitedly when she heard. "Who is Rei-chan inlove with?"

"_Anoo_…" Rei tried to explain that Minako was just confused, except the latter was more successful in interrupting her (and getting the other _senshis_' attention) when she showed the women's magazine, Shukan Shincho, which had the headline that said, "Princess Suzaku dating son of MP Asano."

"Him!" Minako told Haruka and Michiru excitedly. "Asano-san is the son of MP Junichiro Asano, who is said to be the successor to the Prime Minister who's going to retire this month!"

"He's quite cute! I already met him!" Minako giggled, hearts in her eyes when she spoke. "But of course, he belongs to Rei-chan… ne?" Minako playfully nudged Rei-chan's arm with her elbow.

Rei didn't answer. It was the first time she had seen that article because she never reads those kinds of magazine. There was a huge photo of Suzaku-sama smiling happily with Kamui Asano by her side, and another photo of them playing tennis. For a while there, Rei thought that she was able to keep her composure reading the headlines and the captions under the photos so quickly. But the _senshi_ had caught that slight moment when she was sadly grimacing, and that was when Minako immediately realized her error and slowly took the magazine away from Rei.

"It's okay… Rei—" Michiru attempted to console and break the awkward silence.

"It's not like that at all, of course… since he is now with Suzaku-sama," Rei was quick to be defensive. "Being inlove would be living with him, like Mako-chan with her boyfriend."

"Living with … ?" Haruka and Michiru's mouth were agape with curiosity, to which Rei was glad at having changed the subject instantly.

"So soon… Mako-chan?" Haruka asked, smirking a little.

"No… no!" Makoto waved her hands in objection, a sweatdrop hanging on her forehead. "It's not like that at all! Sanjou just had his instruments in my apartment because he wants to practice there more… and to eat all the food in my house!" Makoto's smile widened in amusement at that last phrase.

"S-Sanjou?" Haruka and Michiru exclaimed in unison for hearing Makoto calling him Sanjou, his first name and without any honorifics.

"Instruments? He plays instruments?" Michiru gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "Hmm… I like him already… is he cute?" (A short irritated snort came from Haruka.)

"He is… a little," Makoto blushed at that. (Minako was smugly smiling and nodding her head quickly in confirmation.) "He stays at my apartment often to play the flute this time and cooks a messy _agedashi_ _tofu_ that looks all crumbled."

"Usa-ko's male counterpart…" Haruka laughed. (Also saying that to hint back at Michiru.)

"Surprisingly though, it tastes better than mine!" Makoto continued, quite amused as she spoke. "He is an irony of sorts… Sanjou always tells me that I'm graceful and feminine but during one incident when we were going home from the Club, some of his _ganguro_ groupies tried to corner him and gave him little punches because they saw us walk out together. Sanjou was kind enough not to fight back against young girls, of course… but he said…." Makoto stopped because she was laughing so hard.

"What did he say, Mako-chan?" Michiru echoed with Minako whose curiosity were both piqued.

"He said…" Makoto tried to recover from her laughter. "'Please go away… my girlfriend can take on all of you.'"

The _senshi_ all laughed (except for Rei, who smiled a little… because it's always hard to make her laugh and she was obviously not feeling good with the news she saw in the magazine) and Makoto continued to explain that Sanjounin was just being nice so as not to pick a fight with women. And after saying that, he dragged Makoto by tugging her arm and putting his huge guitar case to use as a shield on her back in case the _SanjouMasa_ groupies followed them.

That last statement by Makoto left different internal emotions on the _senshi._ Minako's eyes were as glassy as Michiru's when she heard that very romantic and chivalric gesture, disappointedly trying to remember if she ever had one. Rei was… being herself… and was not in the mood to give a reaction.

"Hmm… is he the one Mako-chan?" Michiru once again giggled excitedly in asking. "The one who will marry you..."

"Marry me?" That was the only time Makoto sighed – and sighing deeply as though she sounded either dreamily wondering… or disappointed. She wasn't able to tell the senshi of her meeting with her old _senpai_. But he was an entirely different person, probably the _yang_ to Sanjounin's _yin_, and he was an entirely different story.

"Yes… " Michiru sighed dreamily. "Isn't it your dream to marry--?"

"Marry? Hmph!" Rei's moody reaction was a quick turnaround from her recent aloofness just moments ago. "You shouldn't take marriage too lightly, Mako-chan. It's not something that you should just offer without thinking!"

"B-but…" Makoto tried to protest. Nobody was of course aware that 'marriage' was the recent topic in the latest events surrounding Rei-chan's life that she was not too eager to talk about.

"Makoto isn't the one asking Sanjou-kun to marry her, Rei-chan…" Minako was always the quicker one to explain.

"I know…" Rei shrugged, flipping her hair. "I'm just… trying to warn her against it. In case she tries."

Sweatdrop.

Haruka was already in the middle of re-reading the rest of the article in Minako's Shukan Shincho magazine to see for herself who Kamui Asano was. Makoto and Minako who had already met him and can deduce immediately the reason for Rei-chan's strangeness, were tactful enough not to say a word.

That was until Haruka closed the magazine and remarked, "This Asano dude seems to be quite popular as if he's an idol and not just the son of MP Junichiro Asano.

"That's remarkable since he's _not_ that good looking anyway," Haruka added sarcastically.

Michiru was smiling mischievously when she heard that, understanding immediately what Haruka was trying to do. And everybody else was eagerly waiting for Rei's reaction … and Rei was still trying to keep a good composure even when she felt that the belt of her _hakama_ seemed to be tightening and would erupt in cold sweat with everybody's eyes on her.

"_Anoo_… w-well… that's true…." Rei struggled to answer. In her mind, that sentence was continued with a phrase that was supposed to be, _And he deserves to be with Suzaku-sama_… except, at the last minute she was also having a dilemma on whether that was a tactful thing to say or something that would be disrespectful against the Imperial Princess for being with someone she just said to be 'ugly.'

_Rei-chan! Watch out!_

Only in hindsight did Rei realize what that last statement meant and that it was Makoto who had shouted it. The struggling thoughts in her head were like a quick fast forwarded dialogue in a surreal movie she was watching, which immediately paused in a direct flash of light, that found her waist being held by Haruka who had caught her from falling off the steps she missed in that platform. Haruka was just in time to save her from diving head first into the soil.

Rei felt her cheeks burn at that moment of complete embarrassment, even from her own friends, that they found her as if she was absent-minded with the current topic being _Kamui_ _Asano_.

Haruka gave her a rather sheepish grin and dreamily whispered, "Why are you turning red, _senshi_ of fire? Do I remind you of him?"

Rei was wise enough to keep silent, finally realizing that she wasn't herself enough to give a better answer.

"It's alright, Rei-chan… we all go through it," consoled Minako, whose eyes remained glassy all throughout Makoto's romantic story and Rei's apparent denial. "But at least it's not too late for you. There's still the Law of Fourth Chances."

"The Law of Fourth Chances?" Michiru asked. (She's the excited romantic that day for some odd reason, as everybody was strange.) "What is that? I've only heard of _Ichi__Go Ichi E. _That there is only one chance for everything, right?"

Minako nodded. "That's true and we should never hesitate to take it! But we all get second chances to remedy the one we missed. And then a third. But we're only allowed up to the fourth chance. Four means death. And if we let it go after the fourth, then we have lost it all and it can never be remedied."

"_Sou_…" Makoto smiled at that. Minako was ever the optimist, which was a refreshing thing for the group. While she was saying it quite cheerfully, she sensed that Minako was trying to ease her own pain.

And Makoto was right. Minako continued to smile, but this time she was making an effort to do so and was smiling weakly when she spoke.

"At least it's not too late for you… At least you're not falling for the impossible." Minako somberly said. "In chasing idols, I always dreamed that I would end up with a cute one someday. But that was high school. I'm more realistic now. And aside from being incredibly gorgeous, he has a girlfriend too."

"And I'm not kidding myself in that," Minako was quick to add, patting Artemis's head who sat by her side, listening all throughout. (Artemis was forbidden to speak for one whole week, especially during Minako's rehearsals now that she is in actress, to prevent that mishap when Kenta and the others heard him speak outside of Makoto's apartment.)

That was the end of the discussion, especially when the most cheerful one was now the saddest.

Michiru sighed as she patted Minako on the shoulder. Feeling that she had empathized the most, she knelt down beside Minako. "Minako-chan," she said calmly. "Why don't _you_ just ask him out on a date?"

Everyone choked on that, except Haruka who just winced and had a sweatdrop over her head. "Michiru-san?" Makoto asked in crazy disbelief. "Didn't you hear what she said?"

"I did… I did…" Michiru assured them. "But it's just so easy, Minako-chan! How can you the Law of Fourth Chances happen if you're not even taking the first?" She winked at Minako. "What's his real flaw besides the fact that he's incredibly gorgeous that's stopping you to ask him out anyway?"

"_Sou__desu ka…_" Minako mumbled on this _profound_ insight. It sounded a bit more hopeful.

But the solace was knocked down when Ami-chan forcefully opened the sliding door and ran out to the platform screaming, and looked in shock, that it looked like she wanted to tear her hair.

"End… game," Ami-chan finally said, after screaming, now herself stuck in a trance.

"_Nani?_ Ami-chan?" Rei , ironically, was the one to ask first, worried about Ami-chan's state.

"He used the Nalimov technique and was able to checkmate in just four moves…" Ami explained to the clueless senshi.

"Na…li…mov…?" Minako was trying to understand.

"Who did?" Haruka asked.

"V-Knight!" Ami screamed the answer, almost jerking Rei from her position since she was the nearest.

During this whole time, Ami was inside Rei's room and having called Usagi earlier, excused herself to say that she would like to see something on cable for her research in school. That "research" was of course, the show called The Iron Grandmaster, now climbing up in ratings due to V-Knight's popularity. And Ami was intently watching in the hopes that V-Knight would lose in this episode, but much to her dismay, he was winning in the last five games, including the latest one where he used the certain Nalimov technique that Ami was certain, not everybody who knew chess would even know about it.

"V-Knight? Isn't he that _baka_ on television posing like Sailor-V?" Haruka then asked.

Everybody except Ami nodded. (Minako even more defiantly so.) Ami then realized that her secret had been out. Although she prides herself being to being an achiever in anything, most especially in strategic games as chess, she was never adamant to admitting this eccentricity of watching a _baka_ on television just because she thought this _baka_ defiled chess. (In high school during their reviews, Ami was first to scold Minako and Usagi for watching television first before studying.)

"Well, I heard he's really good. The next grandmaster from Japan," Haruka said. "And that show is making some sort of chess idol with high school girls downloading pictures of him in their phones."

Ami huffed. "_Yoshi!_" she scoffed, clenching one fist. "So it is." And then she immediately went inside the house and abruptly closing the door behind her, leaving all her friends extremely bewildered at all the jargon Ami had just said.

"What is wrong with everybody?" Haruka finally can't help but ask, scratching her head. "Everybody's acting really strange today."

Michiru chuckled. She flipped her hair and playfully linked her arm around Haruka's own arm. Michiru leaned close to her and smirking, she said, "It seems that everybody's inlove."

* * *

_Inlove. _

_The scene has to shift._

"It's amazing… all this dark power that Metalia has entrusted to me… still works after all this time."

He said this while standing in the middle of Ichinohashi Park, amazed with the deep surge of energy churning inside of him and one such energy that he now held in his hand. The grass around him is now brown and withered, and some of the carp swimming in the nearby pond closest to his radius now floats dead. It is only a small test of the power in his hand and it now works.

He sighed as he admired his reflection in the water, amidst the lifeless carp. His hair has now grown up to his shoulders and from orange; it has become a fiery red as it was before when he walked in this earthen kingdom.

"It's sad…" he told the dead carp. "I have no one to talk to and yet still someone to take revenge on."

A wasp flew within a feet of him and it quickly dropped dead just now.

"I must revive my allies," he said, staring mesmerized at the deadly power that lay in his hands.

…

_Nijurokunichi. Kugatsu. (September 26)_

"What was that… just now?" Sanjounin whispered, feeling the huge thump on his chest as though someone had punched it.

That morning, he heard a familiar voice … but he couldn't remember his name. And nobody else heard it in the street going to the club, except for another stranger who tried to follow the source of where they both believed they heard it.

_Mamoru Chiba…_ was it? The name of the stranger who was the only one who didn't think he was crazy. What was only stranger was that Chiba-san seemed genuinely familiar too….

"No way…" Sanjounin laughed, dismissing thoughts of a previous life. "It's just you, Mako-chan… you worry me."

Makoto gave him a kiss on the cheek and inside, she dismissed this sentimentality of his. Sanjounin was romantic but not sentimental, or if he did… he needed _something_. And she would not give _that _yet. _And no…_Makoto told herself…_I'm not expecting anything from him. I think that…_

_I love him… but…_

Her mind was busy wandering at the moment. The shop was aptly named 'Dreams.' This was where she met the wedding dress designer who was none other than _senpai_. And he, too, once existed in the same world as that dress – simply in her dreams. She laughed at first when she saw him, and her _senpai_ was looking at her wondering what she was thinking.

_Enzo__Kakei_… Makoto thought, still holding the card that he gave after he left her finish laughing. She would pass by his shop everyday to check out the improvements on the latest design. Those were random hours since her cooking classes were not fixed. And Kakei-_senpai_… during the days that he was there, would let Makoto in and tell her about the latest developments on the dress.

"When are you thinking of wearing it?" Enzo Kakei asked her, as she dreamily stared at the dress again. This time, the beading was almost complete.

"Hmmm…" Makoto hummed, smiling beautifully as she stared at his creation. "Back when I go back to sleep again maybe…."

He laughed, seeing that she was still half-absorbed in sleep. "I meant, when is your wedding day?"

"Wedding!" That prompted Makoto back to her senses. "_A-a-ano…_ Kakei-_senpai_… stop kidding like that! I just like to admire these designs!" She blushed guiltily.

"Ahh… yes," Enzo Kakei replied, adjusting his glasses. "You were always good in home economics class, weren't you?"

"You remember, _senpai?_" Makoto laughed appreciatively. She was now blushing because she was flattered.

He nodded. "I remember you asked me to share with your _bento_ and it was the most delicious thing I tasted…"

Makoto's eyes widened in surprise that he still remembered that, too, so she blushed all the more. Except she remembered that his reaction wasn't that appreciative as it was now… who'd have ever thought that was Kakei-_senpai_ actually felt!

"... and I never thought you could cook that great being so tomboyish and all!"

And then Makoto's smile faded.

"I saw how strong you were during PE! And they said you were involved in fights in school! So I was---"

"—_Eeeto_…Kakei-_senpai_… I think I must go back. I have to go home and cook since it will be almost dinner."

She wasn't making this up just to get out of a bad conversation. Sanjounin had given her a text message saying that he will be home for dinner this time. That was a rare moment since he's been having an erratic schedule talking to producers of what could be his debut album.

"_Iyaaa_…" Kakei-_senpai_'s refusal to let her go sounded like a … girly shriek? Whatever it was, it froze Makoto in surprise for a moment to digest what she had heard. He was even tugging at her sleeve with his thumb and index finger, with the other three fingers raised as one would pick up a cloth napkin … in a formal dinner.

"Why do you have to go home? You can still stay here for a while… check my design… just for a little?" he chided. "Besides, do you have a boyfriend to cook dinner for?"

"_Anoo_… well his name is Sanjounin. Some deranged _otaku _call him SanjouMasa!" Makoto answered instead, a sweatdrop at the top of her head at the mention of 'boyfriend' to her _senpai_.

"_Sou_ … you're cooking for your boyfriend…" Enzo Kakei said in disbelief. "Maybe he won't mind that you stay awhile?"

She shook her head. "He's on his way home already, _senpai_."

"_Sou_… then will I see you here again tomorrow? We'll have the final touches and we'll add the veil."

"You will?" Makoto almost leapt in excitement. "I definitely will be here!"

"_Yatta!_ That's good to hear! Well then…" he searched the pockets in his coat jacket and handed to her a medium sized diamond set with a few stones and silver lining. "It looks like a brooch… but you must keep it."

He winked at her. "Tomorrow you will know what this little thing will do for the dress."

There were many things in the world that didn't bother Makoto as much as it used to. Even when their toughest opponent was Galaxia who almost had the power of the most powerful _senshi_ in the galaxy, Makoto wasn't as apprehensive as the others. But for things like this, such as the diamond brooch that Kakei-_senpai_ gave her, she would love to devote her attention to it.

So on the way out of the store, Makoto was fondly staring at it and wondering how critical a role the thing placed in her hand would be for tomorrow. Almost nothing could take her out of that moment of veneration for such a small crystal object… until she saw a reflection of someone incredibly suspicious -- dressed in the latest signature pinstriped and tailored suit, scarf and a felt hat that he tried to cover his face.

"What are you doing here…? Soujirou-kun?" Makoto demanded, tapping her foot on the floor after forcibly taking the hat off to recognize who he was.

"Shopping…" Soujirou stammered, pointing to the score of bags he bought along this espionage.

"So why don't you greet me and just say hi!" Makoto grinned mischievously, enjoying this moment of teasing him. "You're hiding something from me, Soujirou-kun! What is it?"

When Soujirou stared at her blankly and did not answer, she teased him. "SanjouMasa himself is spying on me?" she laughed and winked.

Soujirou gulped and said nothing.

"You're serious?" Makoto was still trying to smile at the joke.

"He said that you weren't like this. You were always so attentive but now he feels you're far away," Soujirou answered, sighing helplessly. "He just wanted to know. Besides, I'm good at this so I begged him that I'll be the one to do it."

Makoto sighed herself and leaned against one of the pillars. "I am not that far away…" she whispered, staring at the diamond brooch with glassy eyes. Her cheeks were also blushing at this moment… but she didn't know why.

"Tell him, Soujirou-kun… tell him that I love shopping. I can tell him soon enough what I want to shop for!" She pulled his jacket close to him and winked. "There won't be any secrets."

When she released him from her grasp, Soujirou straightened his lovely tailored jacket and smiled, finally relieved from his role as a spy. Makoto didn't seem to look like she felt betrayed that she even calmly picked up one of his bags to walk out of the mall with him.

"Just one question, Mako-chan," Soujirou asked. "How did you know it was me?"

Makoto chuckled. "You were very obvious, Soujirou-kun! When I took off your hat, I realized that only you would want to look that way!"

Soujirou grinned at his success and replied something that would make Makoto wonder.

"You still haven't guessed right, Makoto. Nobody has been able to yet."

* * *

_Nijurokunichi. Kugatsu. (September 26)_

During the past three days, Rei Hino vowed that she would focus her strengths on finding the source of the stranger power she felt previously. She saw that Mamoru was up and well, without having any symptoms that made them all frantic that week. Usagi even assured her that it was probably fatigue from becoming too engrossed with his work, in order to prepare for their upcoming wedding.

In the meantime, Rei was certain that the energy she felt was that of a new enemy, even if it was unusual that none of the Outer Senshi sensed anything in their apparatus that would predict malevolent newcomers. Perhaps, Rei thought, that after such a huge enemy as Galaxia, there would be no other huge threat as she created the biggest surge in capturing even the senshi from other stars.

But whatever it was, her grandfather told her this morning, she would prefer to have sensed something more important than the news of Kamui Asano and Princess Suzaku.

In Japan, the press took a back step to news regarding their royal family but this time, they seemed to take a liking to the romantic possibility of Princess Suzaku, even when she is only 18. Princess Suzaku didn't even look as charismatic and beautiful, but she had a very friendly and comely disposition around her. The women's and entertainment magazines also have now taken interest in her story only because Kamui Asano was actually treated as some sort of minor celebrity. So the fact that he _could be_ actually engaged to Princess Suzaku was better news than any jpop idol becoming pregnant.

Rei, who had learned to read the newspapers, thought that she would not see things like that in the leading newspapers, but even the Mainichi reported that in the lifestyle section. Some of her _kouhai_ would talk about Suzaku-sama in school, showing her the photos from the magazines themselves.

There was no escape. Kamui Asano was even bigger and more visible now than he was before, when he was just standing in by his father's press conferences.

And Rei… well… someone should give her credit for giving in to cowardice. Or at least credit for finally 'giving in' to her grandfather's sermons on wondering forever on the "what-ifs" and dying alone and lonely. (It was quite effective.) It took Rei the whole day rubbing the edges of her red _DoCoMo_ phone and finally dialing the number of Kamui Asano.

_Ichi__go ichi e._

Seven rings and no answer.

Rei sighed as she stood halfway on the steps going to Hikawa Jinja, and now she walked the other half of the way resigned to the fate that belonged to Kamui and Suzaku-sama. _Suzaku-sama_ _is a kind princess; beloved by the people… she deserves someone of that caliber._

Finally up on Hikawa Jinja, Phobos and Deimos were not in their place on the _torii_ posts and were circling above her, leaving their shiny black feathers to fall on Rei and on the ground where a page of the Asahi newspaper had a headline of her father breaking away from his own Komeito Coalition due to differences on their stand in the reformation of the military agency. It seems that her father and his supporters are now independent and has foregone _all_ alliances.

Rei knelt down to read the rest of the article and the image of Kaidou-san by her father's side was the first thing she noticed. Just in time then, it seems… because this now meant that she was free from the pressure of being Shigure Honohouchi's fiancée. But right below it was a small image of the Princess Suzaku with Kamui Asano by her side, and a caption which said that they were again seen in another party.

"Yes, _minna_?" Rei asked her guardians who now have stopped hovering above her and flying to the inner gardens of Hikawa Jinja.

She wondered as to what else they were leading her to, until a cool familiar scent filled the air as she came closer and closer. What she saw was a very beautiful surprise – the platform was filled with bouquets and pots of Casablanca lilies so that she could walk inside her house being surrounded by them. It would be entirely hypocritical of Rei not to show any fondness for this wonderful surprise because it was a good consolation to a rejection she had earlier when nobody answers their phones anymore. But of course, seeing Kaidou-san now rising from where he sat on the steps of the house, she had to feign some sort of … coolness.

Kaidou-san walked towards her and carried a single stem of Casablanca lily and smiling, handed it to Rei without saying a word. The light shivers in her hand as she reached out to accept it and the redness in her cheeks was enough affirmation for Kaidou-san.

"It's quite extravagant… but thank you, Kaidou-san," she told him in spite of blushed cheeks.

Kaidou-san's smile waned right after and realized that what he did didn't seem to be enough. If it was true appreciation, she would've thanked him first and it ended at that. But he removed that slight doubt and thought instead that she was just being polite.

"I thought that I would just give you Casablanca lilies for all the years that I have missed," Kaidou-san explained, pacing further towards her side. "I also want to invite you, Rei-san."

_To where?_ her eyes asked.

"The DLP is having a private party to celebrate Saeki-dono's retirement. I would like to ask you to come with me."

"Saeki-dono?" Rei was confused. "But you aren't a member of the DLP anymore, right?"

Kaidou-san nodded. "Your father dissolved the Coalition so we are all independents… but that's as of today," he said with his eyes looking away from her that immediately told Rei that Kaidou-san knew something. "And also… Saeki-dono used to be my father-in-law."

"Then… that would be all the more weird," Rei told him with great hesitation.

Kaidou-san sighed and looked at the ground for a moment. "Rei-san... is this your kind way of saying no?" Kaidou-san asked frankly, but having the most bitter of tones. "Maybe you are still angry at me for kissing you that time."

She exhaled very slowly. "I'm just wondering about the protocol," she said coolly. "And about the kiss… maybe I am a little, because you didn't ask for my permission."

"Permission?" Kaidou-san chuckled. "Do people really ask for permission for that? Like everyone else… like Kamui Asano?"

"Yes, he does," she answered, a bit irritable. "Do guys take that lightly?"

Kaidou-san was laughing more than he was earlier. "He asks permission? Even _with you_?" he was shaking his head in disbelief.

Rei was reeling a bit with that last statement. _Kamui-san had to ask for permission_ … even when he had the better opportunity. But she just feigned a smile and uttered sighing, "_Hai.."_

"Rei-san… " Kaidou-san spoke, noticing her wandering gaze. "You're probably thinking it's all too sudden. But what is the difference between me and Asano-san… when I've known you all your life?"

"Asano-san? What made you think that?" it was her turn to laugh. "When he and Suzaku-sama—"

"—Despite the breakup of the Komeito Coalition, your father still wants to pursue your engagement with Shigure Honohouchi," Kaidou-san interrupted, surprising her. "Part of it is that he still wants to have a good relationship with Honohouchi-dono and the other reason is that he wants to make sure you have a good life with a good family. But I already said that if he wants to continue that, I am going to withdraw myself as matchmaker."

Kaidou-san had by now paced himself to be in front of Rei, making sure that he was at a very intimate distance enough to observe closely what her eyes will tell him. "You have asked before why I must invoke your father's name in all matters concerning you," he said. "But now, I have nothing except my own name, Hisato Kaidou … to ask that you give me one more chance."

He choked and stared into her glassy eyes. "Please come with me to this dinner."

* * *

_Nijushichinichi. Kugatsu. (September 27)_

"So what is the news, Sanjou-kun?" Kamui Asano slouched in his own sofa, seating on his own black coat and loosening the tie that he wore from all the functions he had to attend to that day.

Sanjounin and Kenta were seated on the couch opposite him. Seven in the evening was the only time that wasn't blocked for Kamui, and also for Soujirou-kun who suddenly became so busy in the past weeks.

"Kenta-kun was actually the one who called for this meeting so he can just tell us all," Sanjounin answered, lying back to slouch on the couch as well.

But Kenta leaned closer and rested his elbows on his knees. "A few days ago, I had a strange encounter with a man I met on the street," he told them. "It was as if I could hear him calling for help but when I got to him, he could hardly speak at all because he couldn't breathe. He was even coughing blood."

Kamui suddenly became alert with this story and leaned forward to listen.

"But it was as if I could still hear his thoughts," Kenta continued, his voice really stern. "I could sense a presence somewhere that was threatening to kill him so I rushed immediately to help him. Later, he thanked me and called me by a different name…."

Kenta paused for a while. "I was having different dreams before like I was in a different land. And they called me Kunzite, the same way this man did."

"The strange thing is that I also had a dream where I saw Kenta-kun talking to a man, who was dressed so weird… like he was in some manga," Sanjounin added. "And this man also called him Kunzite. So I went to them and we both bowed to him."

"That's a strange coincidence…." Kamui mumbled, looking with his thinking cap on and analyzing. "I am also having strange dreams but it seems to be different from both of you."

"Oi, Soujirou-kun! Maybe you can help us out here with that psychoanalysis of yours!" Sanjounin called out to Soujirou-kun who instead of paying attention to all of them, was gazing seriously at his laptop.

"I don't know about you… but I don't dream dreams about men," Soujirou replied sarcastically, that raised Kenta's eyebrow. "I am very busy with the real world."

"That's because the only way you can get close to women is in your dreams and not in the real world," Sanjounin retorted back and leaned over to Soujirou's place to take a look at his laptop. "Damn… What is that you're looking at?"

"A website for Ami Mizuno..." Kamui answered, successfully able to get a position in looking behind Soujirou's shoulder. "Geez… you're really a stalker, Soujirou."

"Damn, Soujirou!" Sanjounin exclaimed, struggling to take Soujirou's laptop.

"I'm not!" Soujirou replied defensively, defending his laptop from Soujirou and also Kamui's grasps. "I made this website for her!"

"_Bakero_…" Kenta couldn't help but comment.

"What's bad about that? I just want to set the record straight! Some people make websites for other people and say the wrong facts!"

"I won't even ask how you're sure you got the right facts…" Kamui replied sarcastically, shaking his head.

"People do," Soujirou assured him, now irritable. "There are many websites here about _your_ very own Rei Hino and I'm sure they're not all true."

"She's not mine," Kamui corrected guiltily, then immediately sat straight in realizing… "What do you mean there are many websites?"

Soujirou grinned mischievously. "Take a look," he said, typing the URL on his laptop and pointing the loaded page to Kamui. "It says here that she now studies Business Management in Waseda and plans to go abroad to marry a foreigner." Soujirou clicked on a link and with his mouth agape to exaggerate his surprise, he said, "I don't even know how they got so many photos in these clothes."

"_Sou__ka_… those are photos of her as a _miko_ in various poses… This is infringement on her privacy. There are more creepy people out there than Soujirou!" Sanjounin pointed out, much to Soujirou's increased irritability.

Kamui only took one look and leaned back on his couch, and became silent for a while. He then grabbed his phone and dialed Nishida's number. "Nishida…" he instructed. "See what you can do with these websites on Rei Hino."

"_Hai._" That was Nishida's quick answer and the call was finished in that quick second.

Kenta wasn't the one to remark on things like that, but Sanjounin was very much tempted to say something and then decided against it. It wasn't helpful to comment since it was clear what Kamui still felt about Rei Hino. Only, Kamui had to comment this time telling Soujirou to stop putting up his website because it might encourage other creeps to do the same to Ami Mizuno. And immediately, Soujirou slinked away in that, closing his laptop to avoid all other arguments.

"Let's all go back to what we're talking about. It's just too bad that women distract us," Kenta said, but he was looking more at Soujirou.

"_Gomen, _Kenta-kun…" Soujirou apologized. "But I swear I don't encounter any of these 'weird' things that you all do."

"Now _that _is a first!" Sanjounin just can't help himself.

"What is it did you say you were dreaming about, Kamui?" Kenta asked.

"I dreamt that I was a protector of a great prince… and it was in a different country," Kamui answered. "I don't think I traveled to that before."

"Well, it's not like you're not exposed to royalty, Kamui," Soujirou said… the first thing that made sense.

"No… even the Imperial Emperor now goes out in a suit, but this prince doesn't even dress like that. Even with a cape, he doesn't look like European royalty either."

"In my dream, Kenta and I bowed low to a man… it's not something one does to someone who's our equal," Sanjounin added. "It's possible that our dreams are related."

Kamui nodded. Kenta remained pensive, trying to analyze all that was said. "If all of us dream about it except for Soujirou, could this mean that we may have a bond somewhere in the past…" Kenta explained, still unsure of it himself. "Or maybe way back in our pasts."

"Our pasts? Like something in any of our past lives calling back to us?" Sanjounin asked, laughing. "That sounds weirder than ever, Kenta-kun."

"Maybe so… but we all talk about places and people who don't look like any of what we've seen before," Kamui replied. "Even I can't think of a better explanation."

"We can investigate it further. Be alert on the events happening around you and don't suppress things that you might sense. I'm going to go back and investigate this further," Kenta instructed calmly.

And finally turning to Soujirou, he said, "You must stop all this stupidity, Soujirou-kun," then slapped the back of his shoulder.

* * *

_Nijuhachinichi. Kugatsu. (September 28)_

"_Why don't you just ask him out on a date?"_

"Me? Ask him out on a date…" Minako mumbled, contemplating on this advice that Michiru gave her while fidgeting on the few ruffles on the skirt of her gown. She was able to pull out a piece of loose thread on one of the ruffles she was playing with and then received an epiphany – this was the last dress she had worked on before being scolded by the actress who was supposed to wear this. This actress was also the one she had replaced.

Now Minako realized why that actress was so mad. She did a horrible job in sewing this dress and now she was the one who had to take all the consequences, including wearing this tacky piece that the renowned director had asked her to wear. But then, Kenta-san was able to wear some shirt full of rubbles where he looked like a petunia – the most handsome one… and only he can pull that off.

"It's okay now, Aino-san. Your hair is done," the hairstylist said. "It looks really good. It will just get better on rehearsal."

Minako heard her hairstylist and now stood up to see how the dress and her hair would look. The director wanted to see a sample of it done even though it was not yet the dress rehearsal. He wanted to be assured that this Aino-san would look the part.

Minako sighed, sadly concentrating on looking at the ruffles on her skirt to avoid looking at the mirror. She was braving herself for the worst – that she would not look good or even if she did a little, Youji Take would just wave his fiendish hand and say that Aino-san was really a bad choice for the part. Never mind that Minako had appeared in a television show before and in a commercial during her Sailor-V days. Never mind that she had practiced hard for this part.

And never mind because it's just Youji Take… who knows about him anyway?

"_Yoshi!"_ Minako exclaimed, clenching her fist to renew her fighting spirit and with a strong glance, she faced her own self in the mirror. And gasped.

"It can't be…"

Youji Take hired really good hairstylists. Her hair was unwound without her usual half-ponytail and was replaced with soft waves that softly framed the edges of her face. She had a black ribbon for a hairband as the only accessory. And for some reason, this kind of hair didn't look that bad when worn with the ruffles she first thought were tacky.

"Nice…" she whispered, smirking and looking satisfied.

"Aino-san, the director went out for an early lunch and won't be back until 2 pm so he'll just see you around by that time," the assistant director walked into her room and announced.

"What? I can't be stuck wearing this for two hours!" Minako protested.

The assistant director didn't say anything and just walked away after his announcement. Minako was more worried about not having lunch or having a decent lunch wearing this dress. (She can be messy when she's hungry.) But nobody was clearer in their resolve to always eat something at lunch than Minako Aino.

So Minako walked out of her room, pulling her skirt up a little and decided to walk out of the theater to buy some noodles. And even if she almost tripped on the wires at the backstage or being oogled upon by the staff when she walked past, her mind was especially focused on those noodles. And now, also focused on Michiru's advice on asking Kenta-san out… because just right then, he was coming towards her, walking on the same hallway… and she was wearing the grossest outfit the world had ever seen.

"_Yo, _Kenta-san…" Minako greeted coolly, trying to walk away from him as fast as she could, except the lighting director was now blocking her way carrying a huge lamp.

"_Yo_…" Kenta greeted back with his voice trailing away because he had immediately stopped walking. And there was no one barring Kenta's way like Minako was.

It was as if Kenta-san was taken aback when he saw her … looking so different. Minako realized that Youji Take made Kenta-san wear that same horrific petunia outfit as before, but didn't think that he would empathize. In Kenta's mind, the last thing he wanted was to look like a floral centerpiece but Minako had already second-guessed that Kenta-san thought he froze in his tracks because he found her repulsive.

"_Anoo_… where are you going, Kenta-san?" Minako forced a grin, still stuck in a pickle with the new costume manager passing in front of her with her many hangers this time.

"I-I'm hungry," Kenta replied. First time he probably ever stuttered unintentionally. (And not acting.)

"So you're not busy doing anything right now?" Minako grinned, now that a huge piano was now barring her way because everybody wanted to pass by her side and not Kenta-san's. "Do you want to buy noodles?"

"Yes."

If Michiru found out how Minako had asked Kenta-san on a date, Minako thought that Michiru would just die from laughing. But here was Kenta-san sitting in a ramen house with her, wearing the same gross ruffles as the ones on her skirt. Michiru was right though. It was easy. Asking Kenta-san to buy noodles? Wow… that was good.

Kenta-san innocently ate noodles next to her, as women would pass by the restaurant and giggle as they pass by. _It's that guy in the Kin commercials!_ They probably didn't want to disturb Kenta-san from eating even though he looked so deliciously handsome in that be-ruffled blouse. Minako was so proud of herself too – Kenta-san is a celebrity!

"Aino-saaaan!" Minako hated to hear the shrieky voice of her _omi-ai_. "They said you were eating here. I'm so glad I found you! I have great news!"

The little man paused and ogled at Minako from head to toe. "You look pretty..." he said, with stars in his eyes.

"Get right to it," Minako commanded, breaking one chopstick with her one hand.

"Y-y-yes…" the _omi-ai_ coughed. "Well, I have found another match for you. This time, he's as handsome as you asked! You must meet him tomorrow at six pm at Harajuku."

"I have rehearsals tomorrow until eight so I can't make it at that time," Minako said, trying her best to get rid of him now that he had embarrassed her on her _date _with Kenta-san.

"Okay! Let's reschedule then! How about Saturday at 2?"

"No…"

"Friday at 4?"

"Yes… please go." Minako's voice was tiny and quite stern at that last phrase which her _omi-ai_ insantly obeyed in fear.

Kenta-san was still busy sipping the soup of his ramen, but he did take a funny look at the little man. Minako was praying that he wouldn't ask and Kenta-san was usually very reserved enough not to mind people's businesses. Except today.

"What is that, Aino-san? This _omi-ai_… why do people go to it?" Kenta-san asked.

"_Anoo_… it's not that I don't get dates…" Minako smiled sheepishly. "I'm just exploring how it goes! And—"

"—I've heard about _omi-ai_ before but never been exposed to one. I guess I've forgotten about it when I went to Australia," Kenta told her.

_Sou__ka… he's really innocent about this_. "_Anoo_… it's like a matching service," Minako answered. "They just have a good way of finding how two people can be compatible with their blood types, hobbies, likes… but these days, it's not that good…."

"_Sou_… and then they go on dates."

"_Haii_… I guess some people just don't know how to go out on dates!"

Kenta loudly sipped his noodles and looking uneasy, he fixated his gaze on his own bowl and calmly confessed, "I don't know how to ask women to go out on a date."

"Really?" Minako almost spat her soup in surprise. "You? But … how come, Kenta-san?"

"I don't know how…" he said again. "Even my friend Soujirou who has very bad luck with women knows how to ask. With Chiaki, I only remembered that the first time was probably that she just asked me if I was busy. When I said no, she asked me to go with her to take out some dinner. And then going out to dinner became frequent."

It was Minako's turn to concentrate on eating her noodles. Asking him if he was busy… this Chiaki had probably talked to Michiru also. It was unbelievable that Kenta-san could be _that_ innocent, but with all the giggly girls passing by staring at him, it wasn't hard to know why. He was too hot! He didn't need to ask. She just hoped that Kenta-san didn't think she had duped him into a date. She really just wanted to buy noodles.

"You don't know how because you never tried, Kenta-san!" Minako commented cheerfully. "It can be fun! There are risks too, like getting a no, but if you get a yes, it feels so great!"

"_Sou__ka..._" Kenta mumbled. "I guess then that Soujirou tries hard and a yes must be that much worth it to him, even if it is rare."

"Uh-huh… it's always rare, but it's worth it."

Kenta smiled at that thought. He noticed that the waves in her hair indeed made her look different. It was a cool change, but he decided that he preferred the simple half-pony tailed look she always wore everyday. That got him to wonder what it would be like to follow Aino-san's advice and ask someone out on a date. He certainly remembered Soujirou's reaction whenever he got a yes. All his wake-up calls where from Soujirou giving him news on his Ami Mizuno wins.

Besides, he was already twenty-five and had gone through two very serious relationships, with the last one ending on a sour note. The fact that he went through the motions of romance and separation, but breezed through the first stage made Kenta wonder what he missed. He knew all the lines of course and he could recite them all to a girl perfectly. But without a script, he of course doesn't know how women will react.

Of course, a yes answer would exhilarate Soujirou. Asking someone to go out with you only takes one sentence … but it sparks or ends a relationship.

"What would make you say yes, Aino-san? If I were to ask you out on a date?" Kenta-san asked, making Minako almost choke on her noodles.

Minako can't believe that Kenta-san was this naïve. And he was looking at her with inquiring eyes as though he was really desperate for an answer! He's either a good actor or he's … nah… it can't be! He's too beautiful not to know this basic thing! But then, this is judgment coming from Minako Aino who had to go through the services of an _omi-ai_ just to get matches.

"You're kidding, Kenta-san!" Minako laughed.

Kenta-san frowned and returned to sip on his noodles. "Forget it then, Aino-san."

"Wait! I'm sorry it sounded like that… I just can't believe that someone like you can be innocent about these things but... you also shouldn't ask me. I'm not like most women, I guess. There isn't any particular line that would make me say yes."

This answer piqued Kenta's curiosity than ever. He now looked at her and listened intently.

Minako dreamily gazed at her noodles for a moment, imagining something wonderful in her head. "As long as I like him, anything he says would make me say yes," she sighed.

Kenta nodded and smiled. After that long pause, he would've said that her answer made a lot of sense. But Aino-san was too keen to change the subject to Youji Take right after that awkward moment. (The awkward moment would be that she burped in her ruffled dress and sipping noodles.)

* * *

_Yokka. Jugatsu. (October 4)_

Phobos and Deimos were both perched at the opposite poles of the stairs leading to the Main Sanctuary – quietly behaved as their princess told them. But their eyes were alert if the visitor were to make the smallest of steps towards the Princess of Mars, who was standing just a few paces behind them, pretending civilly to receive her.

For in that visitor, there was no other aura of power that their Princess that could not handle. But the ravens were wise to know that what existed between Yuuka Tominaga and their Princess was an emotional enmity that could render her sixth sense powerless.

"I was in the neighborhood, Hino-san," Yuuka explained, smiling maliciously.

"Liar," Rei hissed, looking at her with utmost disdain.

"I just came here to see how you are… now that we are the same," Yuuka continued with a jeer in her voice. "I thought that I could elevate the Tominaga further by connecting with the right people, but the politics outside the Diet is more competitive. I mean, of course… how could _we _match against the Princess Suzaku herself for Kamui's bride?"

"Don't put me in the same level as you. I never competed with anybody to elevate my father," Rei spoke defensively. "It is also not my ambition just to be Kamui-san's wife!"

Yuuka huffed. "You can keep yourself locked in this shrine, Hino-san, as though you are a pure and devout _miko_ as compared to me," Yuuka said, resting her hand on her waist. "But even you can't be enough to be on the same level as a princess."

Phobos was almost ready to pounce on the _commoner_ who said that.

"You're not listening, Tominaga. I'm going to ask you to leave—"

"—And I thought that Kamui went as far to show that he loved you," Yuuka interrupted, her voice cracking. "Even Shigure thought that, because Kamui was only too passionate on things he truly loved."

"But even Kamui can't get out of this one," Yuuka finally said after a long pause. That was the only time Yuuka took a step and the ravens still stayed their place.

"See you later," Yuuka greeted impassively as she walked down the steps of Hikawa Jinja in dangerously high heels.

Phobos and Deimos knew their Princess a long time and predicted correctly about Yuuka's effect on her. It was a good thing that both of them held back from attacking her or else Yuuka would not have been able to tell their princess what she needed to hear. And who better than to tell it than Yuuka? That sharp jealousy in her voice verified that it was all the more truthful. Even to her guardians, Rei tried to put on a defensive stance.

To take off the stress, Rei decided to take a nice hot bath. In the bathroom, she wiped the mist caused by the heat off the mirror to see herself in it.

_Pure… devout…_ this was of course what a _miko_ should be. Even her enemies saw the part of her that she always aspired to… but for her not to be on the same level as Suzaku-sama? Who is Suzaku-sama anyway without her birthright?

Rei looked at the face staring at her and that according to Yuuka, this was the face that Kamui _went as far to show that he loved…_

"How far did you really go, Kamui-san?" she whispered to the rueful face that stared back at her.

_Three hours later…_

Kaidou-san was speechless when he saw Rei Hino exit out of the house at Hikawa Jinja wearing a red V-lined spaghetti strapped gown. With a thin red ribbon choker and her mother's necklace on her neck, Rei wanted to emulate almost everything that she wore when she was the Princess of Mars. The only difference was that the dress she wore only extended to her knees. The nice red number she wore brought back fond memories for Phobos and Deimos, and the newest fondest memory for Kaidou-san. Men are probably the densest to know that for women, wearing the sexiest things were never used for seduction – they were used for vendettas.

"It's the biggest honor to escort the most beautiful woman to this party," Kaidou-san told her, with mystified eyes behind those glasses.

He then, with blushed cheeks, placed a Casablanca lily in her hand, which Rei thought was too impolite to refuse even after the constant reminder. She actually began to get tired of casablancas.

But after the many compliments that Kaidou-san said, he remained quiet in the car on the way to the DLP party. And this was an uncomfortable silence for Rei, especially feeling ungrateful to the gentleman that Kaidou-san was.

"It's a good thing that you are back with the DLP, Kaidou-san," Rei began her icebreaker of news she saw in today's newspapers. "Saeki-dono acknowledges that you are still an asset to the party."

"_Haii_…it is good to be back," Kaidou-san answered, smiling at her.

And that was it. Kaidou-san instead turned to look at the places that panned on his car window and didn't continue the conversation.

To which Rei then realized… of course… this is the DLP celebration party. No politics are to be discussed in these parties. She almost felt ashamed for bringing that up until she saw Kaidou-san's reflection on the car window. He was smiling contentedly, already grateful that Rei Hino will be by his side the whole night.

And Kaidou-san was even withdrawing in showing his affections. He was in fact the best of all gentlemen, escorting her from the car and to inside the main DLP's headquarters where the party was held. His eyes were clearly on Rei and nobody else's. At times, it even felt so uncomfortable to be tended to this much.

Inside the main headquarters, Kaidou-san introduced her to some of the MPs and cabinet members who were in the DLP. And after formally receiving compliments from all these men, Kaidou-san then brought Rei to the other side of the hall where all the women are gathered.

"Enjoy yourself, Rei-san. I'll be back for you," Kaidou-san whispered, before hastily leaving to join back with the other men.

Rei, at that time, was just annoyed for Kaidou-san leaving her with a group of women she didn't know. She was probably the youngest in the room. And in the course of being pampered by him, she was surprised to have been left like this. And it was probably the sense of neediness that she thought… _Kamui-san wouldn't have done this!_

She huffed and tried to ease the tension by searching for a familiar face. Just a few meters away, she saw Ono-san raising a glass to her to acknowledge that Ono-san saw her, and then quickly turned back to the other women. And then, walking past the others, she was able to see Yuuka Tominaga, dressed in a simple black tube dress with her hair up, nodding to her to acknowledge. With the floor full of enemies on both sides of the room, she agreed that there was indeed more politics outside the Diet than inside.

So Rei changed her mind. Of course, Kamui-san would've left her there! He would do the same thing as Kaidou-san did, but with a very different motive. In fact, Kamui won't probably even introduce her to the MPs and their wives. He probably would've left her there because he would never tolerate a woman who didn't fight her own battles.

"_Yoshi_… let's see who between us isn't equal to the Princess, Yuuka!" Rei whispered her battlecry and then made her way, unscathed of rumors and walking proudly like the celebrity she should've acknowledged herself to be … snubbing as she passed by Yuuka-san's and to where Ono-san was entertaining some women.

"Hino-san! I'm so glad you were able to be here!" Kagura Ono happily greeted her, and then turned back to her women to continue her conversation.

"I'm so glad to see you too, Ono-san," Rei greeted back, slightly irritated that her father's secretary did not care to introduce her. "I wouldn't have been here if I didn't accept Kaidou-san's invitation."

"_Sou__ka_… Kaidou-dono invited you…" Ono-san said, trying to feign from her irritable disposition at the sudden mention of his name.

"Hino-san…? So you must be Ryoichi Hino-dono's daughter? The one that Yuuka Tominaga-san tried to discredit in her father's party?" the other woman told her excitedly. "It's good you are back, Hino-san! I didn't believe you were guilty at all!"

"Ryoichi Hino-dono's daughter? He used to be very good when he was here in the DLP!" another woman said. "Why, Hino-dono must be proud! He has such a beautiful daughter!"

That was when Ono-san's envy turned to her testy self for once again; Rei Hino managed to be the center of attention in her own world. The women began to introduce themselves as the wives of the other MPs who Kaidou-san introduced earlier on, so Rei managed to earn some good conversation, especially with the word she has read in the newspapers. Unlike in the other hall where politics is not an allowed topic, the women's world of 'gossip' allowed all sorts. And Rei was actually surprised to learn from these women that other DLP members still had a huge respect for her father and asked why he hadn't returned to the DLP.

""I heard that Prime Minister Saeki-dono even tried to convince your father to come back," the wife of MP Kusama said.

"Changing political parties is because of ideologies, not loyalties to a leader," Rei answered, making most of the women smile (except for Ono-san) for giving such an intelligent answer. "I'm sure my father has his good reasons. He's quite more liberal than most of the DLP, isn't he?"

"The Komeito Coalition he formed is really just an offshoot of the DLP's reforms," MP Kusama's wife winked. "But you're right that he is more liberal than most of the DLP. Asano-dono might be the one to replace Prime Minister Saeki-dono soon… and he is more on the conservative side."

"Yes, Asano-dono… did you see the newspapers? His son, Kamui, is dating the Princess Suzaku herself!" the wife of MP Hanaoka said. "You think it's quite possible that they are already engaged?"

"It's not possible… Suzaku-sama is an Imperial princess. Even if Asano-dono descended from old royalty, that law is now abolished and his grandfather's line is considered a commoner," MP Kusama's wife said. "If Kamui Asano-san married Suzaku-sama, she will be stripped of her royal titles."

This kind of talk was actually sounding more of a relief to Rei. But even Kamui cannot get out his engagement to Suzaku-sama because of dishonor… if Yuuka-san is to be believed. But still, Rei decided… that whatever Kamui does, he has always thought about it and that…

"This isn't fair… people should be allowed to marry whoever they choose… especially if they chose wisely," Rei spoke her frank thoughts.

"That sounds completely idealistic, Hino-san… even for our contemporary world." Rei didn't know who it was who spoke because this woman failed to introduce herself. Her face seemed very familiar though… as if it was always present in the Mainichi newspaper.

"Madam, we've already had empresses in the past and the royalty family even descended from the goddess Amaterasu," Rei replied. "This is all the justification we need to change our laws so that Suzaku-sama will still be able to marry whoever she wants and still retain who she is."

The woman smiled, seeming appeased. "I'm going to contact your father to see if he can support my bill to do exactly what you've said," she answered, then she tapped Rei's arm. "I am MP Hanaoka. I'm very pleased to know that Hino-dono left a good mark in you even when he left the DLP. I hope he rejoins us." And with that, she winked at her and politely excused herself from the rest of the wives to join the other MPs in the main hall.

Ono-san was quick to her feet and gave a tug at Rei's arm to move her away from the rest of the women. "You have made quite an impression on MP Hanaoka. She's one of the few women MPs in the Diet," Ono-san told her. "I hope what you said didn't come from … the circumstances that are happening with Asano-san or Kaidou-dono."

"I don't know what you mean, Ono-san," Rei answered, preferring not to look at Ono-san.

"Kaidou-dono has withdrawn his commitment to you and Shigure Honohouchi-san… so I will take on this commitment instead," she told Rei. "Honohouchi-san is a good man. He'll be a good husband to you and it will still strengthen the alliance between your father and—"

"—It won't. My father is no longer the head of the coalition between his SCP and Honohouchi-dono's party," Rei proudly told her. "It will not benefit any of us."

"You shouldn't be selfish, think about your father too, Hino-san," Ono-san snapped. "An alliance with Honohouchi-san is better than any alliance, even that with Kaidou-dono!"

"I didn't go here with Kaidou-san to form a new alliance! I'm not into dirty politics as you are," Rei told her angrily. "What are you doing here anyway when my father is not even in the DLP?"

"There are things you don't know about, of course… such as Kaidou-dono…"

"I don't care, Ono-san. I don't care anything about alliances. I have to marry whoever I choose. Don't you think Shigure Honohouchi deserves that too?"

Rei also didn't care to see the scowl on Kagura Ono for her delivering the last word. It would not have satisfied her anyway. What she wanted was to go back to Hikawa Jinja and live a quiet life in the shrine… and better off fighting Galaxia or _youma_ than be engaged in political battles. At least in the former, all she needed to do was burn them with her fire and they would be gone forever, instead of negotiating even the personal interests of those involved in real life politics.

She tried to go to the hall where Kaidou-san was but he was not present anywhere. And it wasn't a good time to walk past Yuuka Tominaga who was now dining beside Rei's supposed fiancé, Shigure Honohouchi. If ever she wanted rescuing, the time would be now. The only thing she needed was for someone to take her out of the DLP main house. And if all the other _senshi_ would come to help her teleport to space.

The only available space that was unpeopled was past that sliding glass door -- the balcony where people went outside to smoke. Of course, for now, this would do. Never had there been many times that the _senshi_ of Mars would retreat than now, when there weren't any known enemies. Just pulling the sliding glass door seemed agonizing because the first thing that Rei had was a whiff of thick cigarette smoke.

"I'm sorry," the voice apologized after Rei had coughed many times. "I'm going to throw this away so it won't bother you again."

_De ja vu. The third chance._

Rei could see through the clear air that a small white used cigarette stick had been thrown impulsively out of the balcony. She waited till the haze cleared so she could be sure that the voice she heard truly belonged to someone she knew. The smoke literally lifted. And she exhaled all the relief in her chest when she saw that it was indeed Kamui Asano who stood with her in the balcony, dressed handsomely in his black formal suit.

And he, too, was trying to give her a very civil look, standing there in the balcony with the _miko_ he hadn't seen in days. Of all the times she had to appear, she had to appear when his father would finally announce the decision he gave. And she had to appear when this was probably the most beautiful he had seen her.

_You and she were not meant to be together…_

No such other tension was fought than that one of two people trying to suppress their true feelings for one another.

"I-it… seems like you want some time alone, Rei-san…" Kamui said, unknowingly disappointing her at that moment. "I'm going to go back inside."

"Okay…" Rei mumbled, sighing… and ignoring the protests in her head.

And Kamui already has his back turned and his hand on the handle of the sliding door… until a thought had sparked in his mind at the right time.

"What are--?"

"Wait, can you--?"

Kamui smiled at the coincidence of them speaking at the same time. "What are you doing here, Rei-san?" he asked, because he felt that he needed the answer more than she did.

"Kaidou-san asked me to come," she answered, ruefully looking at him since she had to mention Kaidou-san. "And you?"

"My father is in the DLP," he answered simply, putting his hands in his pockets.

"_Sou__ka na…_" She paused for a moment, searching her mind for other topics to talk about.

"Well then… " Kamui forced a smile and again reached for the sliding door's handle. "It was nice to see you again, Rei-san."

_No way… It can't be…._

"So… are you really marrying Suzaku-sama?"

That was the result of panicked moments in the mind of Rei Hino. She shouldn't have regretted asking it at that point because Kamui Asano's grip at the sliding door weakened because he dreaded answering that question before her.

"I was just thinking that it all seemed too sudden because… just weeks before, you asked Ohburo-dono to draft a proposal to…" Rei felt uneasy to say it. "…marry me. And now, it's Suzaku-sama?"

Kamui turned back to face her. "You said no, Rei-san," he answered blankly in his defense.

"Because I'm no set of criteria, Kamui-san. I'm not just a candidate for your wife. I'm not in any certain level that meets certain criteria and most of all, I'm not in a level lower than Suzaku-sama!—"

"—Who said that you are lower than Suzaku-sama?"

"—It's not really that… you don't just go asking people to marry you because they have these requirements. If you want to marry someone, you should ask them wholeheartedly!"

"I didn't know you were such a romantic, Rei-san…" Kamui smiled, knowing that chiding her would exasperate her a bit. "But you are wrong. Marriage isn't just about romance. It's making a wise decision that someone has all the qualities you need to be with you forever… such as…"

Kamui laughed quietly, directly looking at her. "… liking you in return."

She sighed, thinking defeat in getting her point across. "Do you love her, Kamui-san?" she asked helplessly.

Kamui paused for a minute, taken aback by her directness. "Like I said… it's not just about romance—"

"—Then I guess not… because you would have answered differently if you did…"

Kamui could not find words to dispute her response.

"You're probably thinking that this is because I saw you with Kaidou," Kamui finally revealed the sum of both their thoughts.

Kamui put his hands in his pockets and morosely walked a few steps closer. "I thought about this and realized that I was hurt because I expected something from you. I thought that I was cheated. I hated Kaidou because I thought he took something which belonged to me."

Kamui walked towards Rei so that his eyes met his own. "And I shouldn't have," he told her. "It should never be about me. It should always be about you if I…

He coughed. "…if I truly loved you."

"It wasn't my fault…" her face was all the more regretful, when she finally said what she wanted to tell him in days.

"_Sou_…" was Kamui's gentle answer, nodding kindly at her, which didn't help at all to her rueful state.

"_Anoo_… Hanaoka-dono said that she's going to pass a bill in Parliament to amend the law so that Suzaku-sama could marry anyone and not lose her title," Rei quickly bounced back a new topic. "It will be good for you and her if she passes this into law."

Kamui forced a smile. "It's not going to be change. There are still a lot of conservatives in the Diet," he said, disappointed.

"It can still change, Kamui-san."

"It won't."

"You don't sound too optimistic and it's your engagement," she said, nudging him with her arm and trying to tease him.

"I'm just realistic, Rei-san. It's very unlikely to happen," he said stubbornly.

"Not if your father supports it."

"My father may be aware of many Western practices, but he's still a conservative," Kamui laughed quietly. "This is why he knows I'm more of a fan of Hino-dono than his … in certain cases."

"I think this law that Hanaoka-dono would pass will be great as a message for all women. We've had empresses in the past. I want to actively pursue this so my father can support it."

"Then it would seem that our families will have another rift again! If ever it was you and I…" Kamui winked, his turn to gently nudge her with his arm. "…we'd be like Romeo and Juliet."

Rei was hoping that her cheeks didn't burn at that time. "I don't think the rift will be bigger…in fact…" she told him, remembering the gossip she had with the MP's wives earlier. "I think our families will be friends!"

"… or at least allies," she whispered, smirking.

Kamui sighed and shook his head. "Hino-dono was a great man who had big reforms, but he has broken away from my father."

"Your father is not the head of the DLP. Right now, my father has broken off the Komeito Coalition and other DLP members still want him back. It is very possible that he is again back in the DLP."

"That's unlikely, Rei-san… you don't understand. My father is going to head the DLP after Prime Minister Saeki retires. And—"

"—Right now, with the Komeito Coalition gone, the DLP is again still the biggest political party in the Diet. My father is now just an independent. His SCP is an offshoot of the DLP's ideologies. He could still be back in this party and it would be better for him too, because his chances of becoming Prime Minister will be bigger. Whoever heads the DLP will become Prime Minister."

"Where did you learn all this, Rei-san?" Kamui smirked, looking very amused.

Rei blushed this time. "I read the newspapers," she answered. And then grinning mischievously, she also added "And from many other reliable sources."

Kamui still smiled as he nodded. "That's good… but still unlikely."

"It's not like you to be pessimistic, Kamui-san. I think it's very likely. In fact… I'm going to—" Rei paused for a moment to ease the nervousness in her chest.

"—I'm going to bet with you on it!"

"Bet?" Kamui asked to make sure what he had heard.

Rei nodded. "Yes… if you're man enough," she told him, flipping her hair.

Kamui laughed. "The odds are in my favor… but I suppose… if you know the Law of Fourth Chances—"

"—That says… if you go beyond the fourth chance, it means death… and there is no other way to redeem it after that."

"You know about it? I thought my father just invented it!"

"So will you? Will you take the bet?"

Kamui can't help but smirk. "What shall I ask for when I win?" he asked confidently. "Because there isn't anything else right now that I could ever want." The jeer in his mouth didn't give away the fact that he was really lying, because nobody expresses their longing when they're acting so civilly.

"If you win…" Rei said. "… then you can do yourself a favor and not marry Suzaku-sama."

Kamui's eyes widened in surprise. She's asking him not to marry Suzaku-sama? Rei Hino herself! His excitement could almost not take this seeming revelation.

"Women don't like to be someone that somebody will settle for… or for being someone who has met all this criteria," Rei continued. "You also don't want to be pushed in something you do not choose… won't this be something good for you both?"

It took long for Kamui to answer. Who was he to take that lightly? It is very wrong for him to be disappointed that Rei instead chose to voice out her concern for his and Suzaku-sama's welfare. But he could not expect any other answer. That was because Rei was more rational now, very afraid to repeat to Kamui-san what she told Kaidou-san six years ago at Hikawa Jinja.

"Kamui-san?"

"_Aaa_… then what would you do if you won?" Kamui asked, trying to smile feigning his disappointment.

"Well…" Rei thought for a while. "I would—"

"—take me out on a date," Kamui replied quickly, trying to even out the odds of the bet since she chose the wager and reward for him.

"Date!" Rei asked in shock, because this is not something engaged men should be asking for.

"For the dinner you missed that night at Hikawa Jinja…" he reminded sullenly of the incident where he saw her and Kaidou-san.

"_Haii_… that dinner… " Rei's voice trailed guiltily. "Okay then, Kamui-san. If I win, I will take you out on a date."

Kamui could not believe that she would agree to something that sounded onerous. Rei however, was thinking differently. It wasn't an unfair wager. If he won, he would be able to spare himself of a marriage of convenience. If she won, she would just even out the score between her and Kamui-san, enough to redeem their broken friendship. And that was the most important thing to Rei right now.

But then, it was Kamui-san who wanted Rei to win this wager more than ever… even if he _knew_ that she would never win in this one.

"It's a promise then," Kamui declared, reaching out his hand.

"Yes, it's a promise," Rei agreed, shaking his hand to finalise their bet.

But soon after shaking their hands on the promise, Rei pulled Kamui's hand once more and drew him closer to her. "You really think that I would not win, Kamui-san?" she smirked, jeering at him.

"You're very beautiful, Rei-san," he smiled back mischievously. "But beauty alone won't make you an instant politician."

"Yes, I know," she smiled, playfully pushing him back. "But it helps."

And just then, the sliding door was pushed back and then entered Nishida, looking quite worried but not knowing that his news will determine who between Rei or Kamui, would benefit from the Law of Fourth Chances.

"Kamui…_baka!_ I've been looking all over for you! " Nishida told Kamui in a serious manner, bowing quickly to acknowledge Rei's presence. "I need to speak to you alone."

"What is it, Nishida?" Kamui asked, walking till he reached him.

"They are going to make an announcement in five minutes," Nishida said, pulling Kamui forcefully out of the balcony. "Let's go."

Kamui was not able to resist Nishida's strong grip to bring him closer to the main hall where his father, two other chief MPs of the DLP … and Kaidou stood beside Prime Minister Saeki. He was a bit puzzled as to why Prime Minister Saeki has to be included in the announcement that his father will give regarding him and Suzaku-sama.

The celebration has ceased for the moment and there was reserved excitement in the air, and whispers as to what it might be.

"I am pleased to announce…" Prime Minister Saeki said grinning. "… to welcome Hino-dono as a returning member of the DLP!"

The main hall then erupted with applause as Ryoichi Hino entered the stage, with many other MPs and officials cheering. Some even shouted that they were proud that he was back. Junichiro Asano was first to bow before Ryoichi Hino and then shook his hand to welcome him.

"Hino-dono?" Kamui shook his head and smiled in amusement as to the cause of the postponement of his father's 'major' announcement.

Nishida leaned over to whisper in Kamui's ear. "Hino-dono is back in the DLP starting today…," Nishida said, looking at his own boss grinning happily to receive the returning DLP member. " …which means that he now a bigger rival to your father's succession as Prime Minister… "

"…especially now that they are going to compete for the Prime Minister seat as _allies_ within the same party…." Kamui continued.

Kamui really could not believe it… of all the unlikely situations…

_This was the fourth chance._

"Why are you laughing, Kamui? Damn… you're so strange…" Nishida raised an eyebrow.

Kamui turned around to see that the winner of wager was close by, smiling at him to gloat at his pessimism.

Rei joined in the applause but could not resist the urge to laugh as she saw her own father again shaking hands with Junichiro Asano.

"It can't be…." Rei said in between laughs. "A date…."

- tsuzuku -

---------------------------------------------  
**chiisai****noto:**  
Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) I know it's looooong… but there are so many things happening in the lives of the senshi this whole two weeks, isn't it? ;) Also, I'm sorry that Kamui has to come in so late. I just want to show this time how long it took for Rei to actually miss him. And at least this time, she's doing something… even if it was just some flirting. I never in my head would think that Rei would actually flirt! But well… there are some people who are powerful enough to change us…. ;)


	15. 13: Awakening

**Jisho/Dictionary:  
FUROSHIKI. **Japanese kind of wrapping.  
**KAMI-SAMA:**God  
**HENSHIN:**Transform/Transformation  
**NANI: **What?  
**SENSHI: **Warrior/Soldier. The sailor _senshi_.  
**CHIKUSHOU: **Damn!  
**YOUMA: **Monsters in the 2nd season of Sailormoon.  
**MOSHI MOSHI**: "Hello." (Telephone greeting)  
**ISE SHRINE: **A very important shrine in Japan where gods are said to descend.  
**Aaa…** An informal way of saying 'Yes.'  
**BAKA: **Idiot!

* * *

**In the Previous Chapter:**

A new enemy has awakened and although his presence lurks invisibly in Tokyo, the Outer Senshi with their instruments cannot see him. Rei was the only one who felt a presence during her meditation and remains unsure till now. Even our four boys sense a new presence and want to investigate. What is sure though is… as Michiru puts it, "Everybody is inlove." Makoto's relationship with Sanjounin is becoming deeper… except now she has also becoming closer to a past love, her _senpai_, Enzo Kakei. Minako, suddenly thrust into the lead actress role, finds out that her extremely handsome hunkuva crush Kenta does not even know how to ask women out for a date. (Eh???) And Rei thought that her day would end with just a final showdown with Kamui's ex-fiance, Yuuka…only to be surprised to be seeing him again during the DLP's party where in a surprise upset, her father Ryoichi Hino is now again a member of the DLP and an even bigger rival to Kamui's father, Junichiro Asano's faction. But despite all that, Rei suddenly has a gush of confidence in order to get back Kamui's friendship desperately and wins in a bet against him. Her prize -- a date with Kamui Asano.

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

* * *

"_This is it…."_

The place where he stood was a barren dessert with nothing but miles of snow and wind. The storm that blew his fiery red hair brushed sharply against his cheeks and it that had now grown longer till it reached his waist. There were some goose bumps on his skin and he walked trying to fend off some shivers.

"It's funny… " he spoke with a tinge of regret in his voice. "I remember how extremely cold it was when I first came here… but now… "

He then turned to see the ray of light emerge from the snow underneath. It was the power that he called before he came here and his mere presence triggered its awakening. The light had become so intense that the ray of light had become a huge blue luminescent pillar that reached the sky and illuminated some heat within its radius, melting the ice surrounding it in the process.

And all this eerie destruction pleased him greatly because he now had a link with its power and this was the source of greatness that surged within him -- growing and growing.

"Now… " he grinned, the once chilly wind now feeling lukewarm on his face.

"I feel nothing."

* * *

_Youka. Jugatsu. (October 8)_

_A date…._

Would it have been easier for Rei Hino to know that _that_ was the last, and possibly the only, thing on Kamui Asano's mind that night that he cannot sleep. For once, Kamui had laid aside all his priorities – Ryoichi Hino's re-appointment to the DLP, his father's emergency campaign for the Prime Minister seat, and his much hyped engagement to the Crown Princess. Apparently, never in his life did he feel happier in losing a bet than now.

Even if she hasn't confirmed about the date yet.

But if Rei Hino knew that Kamui Asano was very ecstatic, then the frantic thoughts in her mind would not rest all the more.

_I only want to regain his friendship… I only want it to be the same …_ Rei was telling herself all this so that this voice would be louder than the one that said, _I want him to look at me that way again._ Because that is selfish. She is not Yuuka. She would never be in the way of Kamui Asano's ambitions on that Prime Minister seat that his father will be on soon if she was thinking of herself only.

How ironic that was… since here she telling herself that it was wrong to be selfish when on just a few streets away from Sendai, Kamui was looking at that same full moon wishing that she was at least selfish enough so she would quickly to confirm their date!

Rei sighed, staring blankly at that moon. "_Chikushou…_" Rei cursed her condition wearily. "Who can I ask for help…_Kami-sama_?"

The answer was instant. Rei felt warmth coming from within the Sanctuary -- from the Sacred Fire itself. _Is something burning?_ But no… this is a different kind of energy, like one coming either familiar allies or _youma_. Her heart was beating anxiously and she ran toward the Sanctuary with her _henshin_ compact ready… just in case ….

Cautiously pushing the sliding doors, she gasped to see two bodies lying in front of the Sacred Fire, with their legs crossed as they leaned with their elbows on the floor and their long, _ravenly_ dark hair sprawled on the floor.

"Princess!" They called and reached out their arm to her, smiling cheerfully at her.

Rei leaned against the wall with a heavy sigh of relief knowing that they were allies.

"Phobos… Deimos…" she called after them.

* * *

_Kokonoka. Jugatsu. (October 9)_

The next morning, Usagi was surprised to awaken seeing the human form of Luna sleeping on the floor right next to her bed. Rei and Usagi however were fortunate to have guardians with really beautiful _female_ human forms.

Maybe the magic of the first Queen Serenity wanted to play a joke on Minako….

When Minako went to rehearsal practice that day, Yuuji Take, the director wanted a dress rehearsal just for the "most crucial, most climactic, incredibly fabulous part of the play that if not taken seriously would damage his wondrous career." a.k.a, that scene with Minako wearing the most ruffles. (It was actually a beautiful costume which she would twirl and twirl on it like a little child onstage when she thought nobody was looking. It was just so friggin' hard to put on!)

"Take-san, I assure you we can do without the dress rehearsal. The show isn't until—"

"Aino-san… what did I just say?"

"Most crucial, most climactic… and all that. But –"

"Just go do it, Aino-san!! Or I will have a headache…"

"It's not until –"

"… I am going to die with this headache, Aino-san!!! I swear… I will—"

"Damn, Take-kun… don't die here," Kenta told him blankly, nodding at Minako as a signal to just do as the director asks.

Minako wanted to stand up for herself but she just can't say no to Kenta-chan! _Why would anybody say no to Kenta-chan?_ That just didn't make any sense. So of course she rushed off to just get on that costume like he asked. It just had a lot of ruffles and lace and ribbons everywhere, that's all… she previously designed it… which explains why it's hard to take apart right now… _but I look pretty in this and Kenta-chan would be…._

"You're talking to yourself again, Minako-chan."

"Eh?" Minako stared blankly at the sarcastic kitty.

"Kenta-chan this… Kenta-chan that…."

"ARTEMIS!!!!" Minako, halfway undressed with only her bra and her ruffled skirt costume on, snapped her cat's forehead with her fingers. "Go away!!"

She was more annoyed at the thought of Artemis disrupting her thoughts on Kenta than realizing that even if he's a cat, he's still a _male_ cat. How was she to realize that while Artemis was smugly annoying her with "Kenta-chan this… all you think about is Kenta-chan… a princess of Venus shouldn't be that obvious…."

… that he would suddenly turn… into what Phobos and Deimos, and Luna had just done previously.

It was an instant transformation. Or maybe it seemed that instant and not as magically elegant and taking its time transforming every curve and slenderness of figure as all _senshi_ usually thought. It was just too instant!

Artemis was so surprised to find fingers replacing his paws as he walked on all fours, bent down in front of … half-dressed Minako.

"_Nani…_?" Artemis questioned in surprise, to which also instantly, his Princess turned red from the bottom of her toes to making her head the same color as her signature red bow.

"IIIIIYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"

"_Nani…._ What is happening in here… Aino-san?" Kenta Maeda asked in a very casual manner, as if he was the only one whose ears did not bleed upon hearing that shriek.

Almost everyone who passed by that room fainted from the shrillness and the set designer's glass vase was broken in pieces from two rooms away. But Kenta Maeda had obviously 'rushed' in to help her since he entered her room with his shirt unbuttoned and Artemis's human form was frozen on all his fours and Minako was still just wearing her bra. (The orange one with the pretty sunflowers which was her favorite because she considered it lucky.)

She didn't know whether to faint from the fact that a half-naked Kenta came to her rescue or that he saw her half-naked. Decisions, decisions. Her nose bled just the same when she collapsed to the floor.

"Aino-san!"

"Minako-chan!!!"

Artemis was quick to respond because he was anyway the Princess of Venus's faithful guardian, and given the proximity, he was of course most likely to catch Minako in his arms. Kenta then took back his step upon seeing this, more of that he was ashamed of reaching out his arms but unable to see distress in time to catch and rescue.

"Are you alright, Minako-chan???" Artemis asked frantically, fanning her face with his palm.

_Minako…-chan?_ "Minako…-chan?" Kenta whispered, trying to grasp that situation in her dressing room. He looked at Minako lying in the male stranger's arms, with her cheeks blushed from fainting and her lips turning bright red inspite of it. There could be no other explanation, so he immediately felt the tinge of envy he felt the instant he realized it.

"I understand… you must be…" Kenta spoke, patting Artemis on his shoulder.

"_Iyaaa…." _Minako groaned, trying to wake up.

"… Aino-san's boyfriend."

Artemis froze in surprise, looking at the suddenly forlorn Kenta.

"Eh?" Artemis asked because he cringed a little at the thought of what almost seemed like incest.

Kenta nodded to him, in acknowledgment. Artemis thought that he was just too weird. "Please take care of her, then… Sir…." Kenta told him and immediately rushed out of the dressing room.

That was again the weirdest thing Artemis has ever heard but there were more important matters at hand. His Princess still fainted in embarrassment and she had not yet come to. Minako still lay in Artemis's arms murmuring as if she was aware of the situation, "_Iiiya…_Kenta-_chaa…_"

* * *

_Kokonoka. Jugatsu. (October 9) That same morning._

"_Moshi moshi…"_

"Masato???" A frantic voice cried impolitely at the other end. Soujirou had to move his mobile phone away when he realized who it was. "Sanjou-kun!! I've finally reached you!! Where is everybody? Nobody is answering their phones! Kenta is not answering as usual and it's not like I can trust Kamui to—"

"_Hai hai_, Soujirou. What is it?" Sanjounin asked impatiently, his eyes quickly moved and was relieved to still see the man that Kunzite had asked him to watch was within his line of vision, where he concealed himself in the mall.

Sanjounin had earlier learned that his name was Chiba Mamoru-san, and he is busy right now looking at some sort of bridal shop with his girlfriend. Sanjounin particularly doesn't like the job Kenta assigned to him right now but among all of them, he was the only one free at this time, thanks to his very flexible schedule as a musician.

"Sanjou-kun, I dreamed it too! I had a dream that I was in some kind of cold place… like the North Pole! And I saw a lot of things, Sanjou-kun!" Soujirou rambled on. "I even saw Ami-chan… except she's always in my dreams… she's kind of sexy in my dream wearing that really short blue skirt... but I saw a man dressed in royal robes like the ones that you guys are describing!!!"

It seems that Chiba-san wants to leave the bridal shop already. _Tsk tsk… poor guy… any guy would hate to be dragged in a place like that_, Sanjounin thought.

"Hurry up, Soujirou… you don't need to try dreaming the same thing just to be friends with us, you know," Sanjounin sarcastically told him, glancing quickly at Chiba-san in case he moved an inch. It was a good thing Chiba-san's 'idealistic' girlfriend stopped him.

"I'm not making this up, Sanjou-kun!! Why would I make this up??" it sounded like Soujirou was almost on the verge of tears! "It doesn't mean that because Ami Mizuno got mixed up in it, it's not true! I did see the same person and I bowed to him too! I called him by his royal title! And I was dressed in very elegant and _princely _robes too, and –"

"Damn!" Sanjounin gasped. He had heard Chiba-san's girlfriend shriek and saw him fall in her arms completely unconscious.

"—And I saw everything as if I was really there! I even saw another person. He had dark red hair and he was holding onto a huge sword because he wanted to kill the Prince!"

"Mamo-chaaaaaaa!!!!" Chiba-san's girlfriend screamed helplessly.

After that cry for help rang across the mall, an impetus was enough to send Sanjounin's adrenalin to maximum. But it was not her voice that Sanjounin heard. It was all too quiet and every single voice in that noisy mall was muted enough for Sanjounin to hear Chiba-san whisper, "_Help me…"_

"—He wanted to kill the prince, Sanjou-kun! He wants to return to exact revenge on the Prince!!" Soujirou's voice continued to ramble on Sanjounin's phone even as Sanjounin ran to help Chiba-san.

There were already many people gathered around him, but Sanjounin managed quickly through the crowd to make sure 'he' was okay. Chiba-san needed Sanjou-kun's help because 'he' kept calling to him. Sanjounin immediately felt for a pulse on Chiba-san and slightly relieved that he was still alive, tried to feel his chest to see if his heartbeat was normal.

"—I know his name, Sanjou-kun… the name of the man who wants to kill our Prince!" Of course, it was normal for Soujirou to ramble on the phone on matters he thought important. And by now, Sanjounin could hear Soujirou's voice clearly anyway, as clear as the whisper of Chiba-san's whisper to help him.

Sanjounin felt Chiba-san's chest and even though he felt Chiba-san's heartbeat, he gasped to see that his hands were stained with red. "Blood…" Sanjounin gasped at the sight.

"—Elis. That's his name! Elis!!!" Soujirou's voice on the phone became so audible.

"No… Elis…." Chiba-san finally spoke. "Protect me… from … Elis…"

It was as if the world froze and muted everyone around him except for that clear, sharp voice that Sanjounin was sure belonged to Chiba-san, even though it seemed like his lips only whispered it. It was a command. A very clear command. And whatever was it inside of him that wanted to know why … at that moment, he wanted no other thing that instant except to do what Chiba-san asked.

"Usagi-chan!!"

One other thing except… now, Sanjounin could hear the world get back to its normal noise again, even the sobs of Chiba-san's girlfriend in between that. And another clear voice other than Chiba-san's commanded whisper was also his girlfriend, standing just beside him, wearing a bridal gown. Now, Sanjounin was more in shock.

"Are you alright, Usagi-chan? I rushed over when I heard you… What happened to Mamoru-san?" Makoto worriedly asked, struggling to free herself from the gown she was wearing.

"Makoto… ?" Sanjounin called to her, a very surprised look on his face on Makoto's sudden appearance on this unlikely scene. In a wedding gown no less.

"Sanjou!!" Makoto gasped in shock upon seeing him with Mamoru's blood on his hands.

"I tried to help him," Sanjounin answered. "He is still breathing."

Makoto sighed in relief, and held his hand careful that the blood doesn't stain the dress she was wearing. "Sanjou… we need to help him…" she requested, almost on the verge of tears as well.

Sanjounin nodded. This was no time to be thinking of his own self, or Soujirou still rambling on his phone, or even how Makoto was wearing that bridal gown at that time. Sanjounin had already decided because Chiba-san had already asked him.

_His Prince had asked to protect him from Elis._

_Kokonoka. Jugatsu. (October 9) Still that morning._

"Did you feel that, Princess?" Deimos, now wearing a simpler kimono, asked with her eyes closed and a worried look in her face.

"I-I…" Rei stammered and sighed. "I have felt it… but I don't know where it's coming from."

"You already usually know better than us, Princess… what seems to be--?" Deimos noticed that Phobos, also wearing a simpler kimono, was busy instead tinkering with the television.

"Phobos!" Deimos called to her sister, her forehead crumpled in irritation. "What are you doing?"

"_Hai hai…_I felt it too, Phobos-chan! But something tells me that we must also see the television for an answer!" Phobos answered, thumping her hand on the old model television since that was the only one existing in the Shrine.

Deimos huffed. "This not the time for _that…_ our Princess cannot think about _that_ now!!"

"Think about what?" Rei asked. Her guardians looked at each other and shook their heads at their Princess being too dense.

Phobos thumped on the top of the television loudly enough to startle her Princess and her own sister. "Finally!" Phobos exclaimed upon getting the television to work and saving her from all the explanations at that time.

"What are you talking about, Deimos?" Rei continued to ask, impatient this time.

Deimos slapped her forehead in disbelief as soon as the television showed the first character for "A" … Asano. Phobos's intuition was right on target… for that other impetus attracted her sister more than the pressing one of sensing an ominous enemy's presence. It did the same to their Princess – Rei was immediately distracted by the image of Kamui Asano on the television screen. He was with his father and his mother visiting the Ise shrine.

The Imperial Princess Suzaku was walking at 'a very comfortable distance' by his side.

"_Anoo…._" Phobos immediately thumped the television again which then destroyed the reception, grinning with a huge sweatdrop on her head.

Rei didn't say anything. She got her _DoCoMo_ phone and rushed out of the room, where she now paced on that corridor, worriedly thinking.

"I knew it, Kamui-san…" she whispered, looking at her phone and sighing to herself. And wondering if it was still worth it. She flipped open her phone and began to dial…

…

…

_In Ise…._

Kamui frantically searched inside his jacket for that ringing phone, nervous that someone might hear him. He had managed to slip away from the television broadcast and now the cameras are focused on his father, mother and the Princess Suzaku. What good luck!

Except now, _she_ is the one probably calling and he can't find his phone! The lighted cigarette that is now in his mouth almost touched his jacket which only made him more frantic in case his suit burned and the Princess Suzaku would not want that.

He finally fished out the phone! – it was the phone that Eine bought him, the wet one that fell in the Sumida! And it wasn't ringing. _Why is he still bringing it?_ It was the other phone, that _DoCoMo_ that she gave which he placed in the right pocket of his pants. He now got it!!

_She's calling! Finally! _

CLICK.

"_Moshi moshi…_"

"Kamui."

"Uh... " Kamui breathed a very heavy sigh of disappointment when he recognized who the voice was. "What is it, Kenta-kun?"

"This morning … just now … I had heard –"

"—A whisper," Kamui answered, recalling that strange incident of hearing a 'familiar' voice speak to him that morning. "We have to protect 'him.'"

"_Aa…_ I sent Soujirou to go and take care of 'him.' He said that 'he' is breathing normally now. Maybe we can talk to 'him' when he wakes up."

"_Hai…_" Kamui answered, and at the same time, nodding back to acknowledge Suzaku-sama who is now waving sweetly at him to go inside the shrine.

"I'll let you know as soon as 'he' wakes up, Kamui."

"_Hai._"

Kamui leaned back against the wall of the shrine, sighing heavily and looking at the orange autumn leaves on the trees. And wondering if it was still worth it. He heard Suzaku-sama call his name once again… back to his very own reality… and shook his head.

"I knew it, Rei-san…" he whispered, lazily trudging his feet towards the Ise shrine.

* * *

_Juichinichi. Jugatsu. (October 11)_

"This is very strange… I didn't see this in my mirror," Michiru told all the _senshi_ assembled at Hikawa Jinja that day. She was still looking at her mirror when she was speaking, but all she could see was a murky kind of darkness and that has appeared just now.

Rei had insisted that somebody be at Mamoru and Usagi's side, even that Mamoru has again recovered and is now back at his apartment. Rei felt the ominous power greatly increasing.

Setsuna and Hotaru stayed at Mamoru's apartment while Haruka insisted that she and Michiru figure out everything with the other _senshi_, especially since that none of the Outer Senshi's devices were working well enough to detect this power and where it was coming from.

"And what's more, " Michiru continued. "I didn't even see what is happening in the present and how Luna and Artemis had returned to their human forms!"

"Yes, somebody should've alerted me with that. Mine was really embarrassing," Artemis nodded his head in shame. Sweatdrop.

"Artemis _no baka!!_" Luna said angrily.

"It's okay, Luna… it was an accident," Minako assured her, blushing a little. "We just have to clear out with Kenta-chan that he's not my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend???" everyone exclaimed, reeling in disgust. It seemed incestuous.

"That's just what Kenta-chan thought!!" Minako argued defensively, wanting to tear her hair from shame.

"You have really changed, Venus-sama… " Phobos giggled. "It looks like you decided to change after all!"

"Oh I forgot about you, Phobos-chan and Deimos-chan! You have returned to your cute human forms too!" Michiru smiled at them.

"_Sou ka na…_ even _they_ had to turn back into their human forms," Haruka commented. "This is very strange."

"_Hai!_ As though everyone who's back in the court of the Silver Millennium has returned again!" Makoto said happily, not realizing that her comment sparked a new idea among the _senshi_, particularly Rei, Haruka and Minako.

"_Hai!_" Phobos nodded cheerfully. "And for some people, it still looks like it hasn't changed!"

"It changed a little, I think," Deimos added.

"But just very little!" Phobos insisted.

"_Anoo…_ what do you mean for _some_ people? I know Usagi-chan has changed a lot! She used to be Princess Serenity who used to be so graceful and admired in the Silver Millennium!" Minako asked with very wide eyes and increased curiosity. "And now she's really a huge klutz!"

"Well, you and Serenity-sama were very similar back then, too," Phobos told Minako, looking up as she tried to remember. "Everybody thought that you were so graceful and beautiful. It's like you moved with such sophistication and grace, very much like a princess!"

"And now you're careless, you get caught in naked in a dressing room… UNNGGH!!" Artemis interjected in disgust.

"People are supposed to get naked in the dressing room!!" Minako screamed, wringing Artemis's neck.

"Yes, I remember Minako was very much like a true sophisticated princess back in the Silver Millenium. Queen Serenity always called her to lead all the _senshi_ for their gatherings and Princess Venus was very graceful even during times when it seemed like she would trip on her gown! Now, it looked like Minako-chan would always trip on anything."

"Luna-chan…" Minako could no longer raise her head with her dignity gone.

"Is that true? Why did Minako ever have to change?" Ami asked, putting a sweatdrop on top of Minako and the rest of the _senshi's _forehead after that very honest remark.

"Well… people change for many good reasons," Deimos winked. "Like you did, Mercury-sama."

"Me???" Ami-chan was very surprised, asking loudly along with everybody's gasps.

Luna, Artemis, Phobos and Deimos all nodded in unison. "Actually, all the Princesses in the Silver Millenium were all admired by everyone because they were all very sophisticated, graceful and very beautiful," Deimos explained. "But you all exhibited different kinds of beauty by reflecting different kinds of charming auras … I think."

"_Hai!_ Venus-sama was very regal and back then, she seemed more authoritative. Maybe because, Queen Serenity always asked her to lead a lot of times," Phobos said.

"She's really more cheerful and she gets to be crazy like she is now, but she hides it when everybody is present back then," Artemis squealed, prompting Minako to grab his arm tightly as a gentle signal for him to stop embarrassing her further.

"Mercury-sama was actually the one who changed the most. She used to be very popular with the men!" Phobos then began to squeal, shocking Ami so much that she can't move. "She used to be very coy and I think she's the one who flirted very well, attracting most of the men in court by her side—"

Ami's aura was fuming incredibly and forced Artemis to stop nodding in approval to Phobos's story. "That can't be me. You remembered it all wrong," Ami said coldly. "Minako is the only one who's a big flirt!"

"_Ano sa…_ why does it always have to be me?" Minako asked defensively.

"That's okay, Mercury-sama… you were very interesting back then!" Deimos smiled reassuringly. "I actually was very sad that you decided to change right now. But I think it is for the right reasons."

"What reasons would those be?" Makoto asked, now very much interested in how much she had changed from way back in the Silver Millenium.

"You would know best, Jupiter-sama! You were always the mature one, the one who's knowledgeable in all matters that pertain to the heart," Deimos replied, smiling sweetly back at Makoto.

"Eh? That still sounds like Mako-chan!" Minako protested.

"That's why I said that for some people, it hasn't changed much!" Phobos told her. "Jupiter-sama's beauty was that of a very mature person, almost maternal because it was very comfortable and reassuring. Every man in court would feel comfortable around her, and every woman would love to befriend her!"

"_Hai…_ Jupiter-sama seemed to know all the answers…." Luna sighed to reminisce.

"I guess that was the part of me that I wanted to change now," Makoto smiled. "So we all decided to change… after all."

Phobos and Deimos both sharply shook their heads. "Our Princess, the Princess Mars, carried a very strong aura of elegance and sophistication around her," Phobos explained seriously.

"Hey that's unfair!!" Ami protested. "That sounded just like us too until you remembered different things for us!"

"Yes!!! I think Rei-chan was a klutz back then so she just decided to change just like the rest of us!" Minako also protested, mainly because she would have loved to hear and imagine how Rei would have looked like if that were the case.

"Like I said, a very _strong_ aura of elegance and sophistication," Phobos continued, not minding her Princess standing to one side and feigning indifference. "It was too strong that she was too intimidating. She could stun a lot of men in court by flipping her hair!"

Phobos paused to demonstrate by leaning back a little very slowly, and then she let her fingers gently touch the edge of her shoulder to throw back the hair that caressed her skin. Then she slowly twisted her neck clockwise to turn her head to look to her right while her long straight tendrils bounced back to her waist in a motion that seemed so graceful and dreamlike.

"That's too much acting—" Rei began, a mark of irritation forming on her forehead and stopped herself just in time before flipping her hair.

"So beautiful…" Artemis drooled as the rest of the _senshi_ giggled.

"Yet very unapproachable!" Phobos added.

"Eh? You mean even back then Rei-chan already hated men???" Minako asked in disbelief.

"Well… the Princess Mars was always very focused on her mission," Deimos corrected, a bit uneasy seeing that her Princess was uncomfortable being the topic of discussion. "She just didn't have time for _them_, that's all."

"Them? That sounds like a lot of admirers!" Michiru laughed. "But that does sound like the Rei everyone knows today."

"Hmm… and you did mention that people change for good reason," Haruka told them, finally analyzing everything. "And you said that it had to with matters of the heart, I wonder if Rei didn't change because her heart—"

"—Let's discuss more important issues," Rei interrupted, herself worried where Haruka would lead that discussion.

"I guess you really haven't changed," Haruka laughed as she shrugged off Rei's remark. "You're not willing to discuss anything that deals with your –"

"Hmp…" Rei huffed as her cheeks burned in embarrassment. "Mamoru-san is in trouble and your devices do not work in tracking down why Luna and the others have transformed." Haruka and Michiru's expression immediately turned serious after those words to which Rei's eyes never changed at becoming accusing.

"I am the only one right now who can sense it," Rei told them, a bit haughtily. "So I don't need to be distracted by other things."

With that, she immediately turned about face to return inside the Shrine Sanctuary, huffing and flipping her hair in annoyance. Phobos and Deimos were very surprised with their Princess's sensitive reaction to that topic and worriedly rushed to her side inside the Sanctuary, most likely to aid their Princess in consulting the Sacred Fire again.

_Who knows what Rei is thinking?_ Even Michiru was compelled to speak in their defense, clutching the mirror that still only showed the murky darkness, but Minako stood in the way motioning her to be patient and not talk back at Rei's comment.

* * *

_Juyokka. Jugatsu. (October 14.)_

"Mizuno-san! Mizuno-san!" He coughed because his voice nearly threw a falsetto over anxiously calling out her name. (And that would've been embarrassing.) But as soon as Ami Mizuno stepped out of the … _Tokyo Tech Chess Club Office …_ _why is that…_ he skidded to stop from running and tried to compose himself in her awesome presence.

"Nishimura-san... is there anything you need?" Ami Mizuno asked sternly. He was surprised at this formal question.

"Nothing much, Mizuno-san," Soujirou shook his head. "I was just wondering if you got—"

"Yes, I did," Ami Mizuno smiled sweetly, her face suddenly changed when she remembered it. "It was a great book on medical discoveries. I had a hard time searching for that. How did you—"

"It was nothing! Nothing!!" Soujirou laughed cheerfully, unknowingly blushing because he was just so touched. "I just saw it online and I thought that I had a lot of money anyway and nothing to spend on so I just bought it."

Ami chose instead to smile at that. "_Sou sou…_ _domo arigatou gozaimasu!_" she bowed low, embarrassing Soujirou further because she was so formal. "I would love to get you something next time!"

"No need to do that, Mizuno-san! It was my pleasure." _A date would be nice, Mizuno-san…_

"Very well…" Ami Mizuno sighed, her face becoming serious again. "I need to go now. I have lots of things to do."

"Right now? But I thought all the exams were nearly done!" Soujirou asked disappointedly.

Ami nodded and proceeded to walk briskly past him to which Soujirou followed. "I have to read up some more of these books to get ready to practice tomorrow," she told him.

"Ooh.. practice! I love practice! Can I join you?" Soujirou even thought that was a lame, desperate attempt of asking to come to places he does not know about but he was very okay with being desperate.

"I'm sorry… Nishimura-san…" Ami Mizuno said, stopping in her tracks. A glow came through her face that moment and a beautiful gleam of hope seemed to pass through her eyes, it would have made Soujirou faint.

"But I'm practicing for a very big reason…"

She slowly turned to him, blinked with her long lashes once and gave him her proudest smile. "I'm going to fight V-Knight!! I will make sure that his ambitious and arrogant ways never win in this world!"

_Think fast, Soujirou…_ if she knew that he is who he is, and that he almost peed in his pants when she proudly told him, she would never go out with such a pathetic little man. And that would have blown his cover that he was the ambitious and arrogant man she was talking about. He was in between having his heart crushed at seeing how his ploy to make him famous enough for her fail right then and there, and seeing how proudly she talked about this 'mission.'

"Ooh… V-Knight…" Soujirou's voice nearly screeched again. "That wuss… he would never make a move against you."

"Are you saying I'm not good enough to go against him?" Ami Mizuno's voice was soft but it wasn't calm. It caused Soujirou's spine to tingle with great anxiety.

"No, no… you're such a great chess player, Mizuno-san. You were a champion in your high school and you're one of the best players in the freshmen division. And with all of your practice, you can go against this handsome but _baka _V-Knight!"

Ami Mizuno huffed and irritatingly blinked away from him. "Please don't patronize me, Nishimura-san," she said coldly.

"Nooo…" was all Soujirou could utter, raising a sweatdrop and a white flag in defeat.

She coughed. "I got a letter today signed by many members of the Tokyo Tech Chess Club saying that they cannot believe that tricks and a costume would be the only things that can make someone win a strategic game like chess. And with it shown on television, it gives everybody an idea that all it takes to win this is something as easy as that. So they asked me to join _Iron GrandMaster_."

"This is not about me now," Ami Mizuno continued, her eyes sparkling. "I never liked V-Knight myself and I must admit I want to see for myself how he is in action. But I've never had this many people back me up for such a cause I believed in so much. So this must be the pride in me talking to you all this time…." She laughed a little and blushed. "It sounds quite selfish, I'm sorry—"

"—Not when you have that many people to fight for," Soujirou grinned, trying his best not to look flustered. "We are in the same team."

Soujirou paused for awhile and blushed. I'm always in the Mizuno-san team… wherever she goes. You have to defeat the arrogance in this V-Knight." And he was very sincere in saying all that.

Ami Mizuno laughed which made Soujirou feel all better that she had loosened up. "I do have a secret though," she told him.

"A secret…" Soujirou repeated, not expecting to hear anything but…

"I wish that he won't go easy on me," Ami spoke softly of her confession. "Although ironically, that would make arrogant as well."

Soujirou didn't wish to focus on her own arrogance. He was happily walking beside Ami Mizuno instead and watching her smile a bit ashamed of that last confession. Love is blind and gravely ironic. Who knew that he would find his match especially when he granted her a wish such as that?

* * *

_Jushichinichi. Jugatsu. _(October 17.)

Today, Kamui Asano had become very restless. His father noticed it early that morning. And nothing escapes Junichiro Asano, who despite the mounting news that his rival had increasing allies within the DLP because of good relations from the past Komeito Coalition, became more disconcerted with his son.

"He seems normal, sir. Maybe it's because he didn't take his breakfast," Nishida assured his master.

"All Asano warriors eat, especially in the morning, Nishida," whispered Junichiro Asano, consciously looking back at his entourage, worrying his son might hear him. "If a warrior does not eat, that is a sign of desperate surrender. I want you to find out what makes him stop to fight."

Nishida would rather be with his _real_ master at a historic moment in DLP history like this, but he was now standing at the parking lot of the Diet building walking to the younger Asano leaning against his car to smoke round circles into the air. It was cold. The younger Asano had put on a black trenchcoat on top of his dark suit but his hands were still shivering.

"That buddy of yours, Masato, should be doing the consoling here and not me," Nishida scolded his charge, breaking the cigarette Kamui had in his mouth.

Kamui puffed the last round circle of smoke. "He is guarding a Prince to make sure he is safe from a powerful mage named Elis, who is threatening to destroy our present time," he said in a matter-of-factly, raising Nishida's eyebrow in what he thought was sarcasm.

Kamui chuckled. "You really never trust a word I say, Nishida," he told him.

"You can handle world destruction and UFOs. You can't do that with people," Nishida simply said. "Hino-dono's daughter still hasn't called you, hasn't she?"

Kamui tightly gripped his phone in anger, gritted his teeth and answered truthfully, "No, she hasn't."

Nishida nodded.

Kamui exhaled all the fumes inside of him.

And there was more silence from Nishida.

Kamui began to restlessly tap his fingers on the side of his car…

"You already know it."

"_Baka…_I knew you'd say that," Kamui said, almost successfully interrupting Nishida.

"The formal announcement of your engagement could be any day now," Nishida continued without flinching. "It's time to stop."

Kamui paused for a while and looked at his own red _DoCoMo_ that remained silent until this point. "I know this girl, Nishida," Kamui told him confidently. "She's either hot or cold. She keeps her promises."

Nishida was stricken with pity looking at a defeated Asano, a rare moment in his life. But he felt it his duty to keep this one right on track. Nishida sighed. "Maybe… she too has been busy like you were these past days," he struggled in giving that hint.

"Busy with what?"

Nishida coughed and wiped that drop of sweat on his brow. "Like I said… like you were these past days…"

Kamui struggled to understand that at that moment and he looked at Nishida, impatiently waiting for an answer. "Like me…" he repeated, his forehead crimped in impatient wonder, trying to understand what Nishida meant.

Nishida sighed heavily at Kamui's gestures of impatience and finally succumbed to the look of desperation in his eyes. And before Nishida knew it, Kamui Asano was running towards the Diet building as soon as he heard Nishida's answer.

Kamui always thought simply and there was only one thing in his mind right now. He could never take his focus off it. He could almost cry for still having the determination to continue on a path he knew was closed. And on top of that, there were still obstacles that barred his way – such as the competition.

He was already inside the building when he realised that he his breaths had been too heavy and the gaps in between breaths were too little -- he was seething inside. That was the only time he heard Nishida's voice to "calm down." So he did. Kamui stopped and got his _DoCoMo_ and with his fingers shaking in restraint, he called Rei Hino's number.

"_Moshi mosh--_"

"Hino-san," he greeted in a most unusual formal tone. He was restraining himself from asking her immediately what he learned from Nishida but at the same time, excited to have her pick up the phone within just two rings and very relieved to hear her voice.

"You haven't called me at all," Kamui said seriously. He was trying to make a point.

There was a long pause on the other line. He did not even hear her sigh, which made him worry that she had not cared.

"Hino-san…" he said, still addressing her formally.

"I am here at my father's office so I cannot talk right now. I--"

"Your father's office?" Kamui repeated what she had said, which caused him to run immediately to the elevator, with Nishida trying his best to catch up with his quick steps.

"_Hai…_ It's n---"

He was already on the elevator so the signal had been cut. The wait on that elevator were the longest minutes in his life. It was the first time Nishida had seen his young master sweat after a long period of time, so he followed the younger Asano carefully as he ran quickly when the elevator opened.

"Rei-san?" Kamui called on his phone, waiting impatiently for the signal to come back. "Rei-san? Are you still there?"

"I----c--t---he---" The words on the other line were choppy.

"Rei-san? Are you still there? I'm actually near--"

"Kamui-san."

Kamui tried his best to hide his excitement when he finally saw Rei Hino standing at the corridor of her father's office, holding the phone to her ear. He bent over, rested his hands on his knees and took a minute to catch his breath from all that running.

"Kamui-san… are you alright?" Rei Hino asked, bending down to see his face, looking quite concerned.

"Rei-san…" Kamui began, standing up straight to regain his serious composure. "You haven't called me at all."

Rei tried to avoid his gaze but she could feel a great weight on the tone of his voice when he asked that question. "You were … very busy," she answered, hoping that her tone didn't carry any kind of bitterness… or jealousy springing from watching too much of him and Suzaku-hime on television.

"Yes, I am. But I make sure I keep all my promises. You have given me a promise as well. Do you intend to keep it?"

"Of course I do!" She answered quickly. In her head, that simple question of his raised a very defensive answer, which she can't help but say out loud. But that was not what he was getting at. She didn't realize how much Kamui had done at that time -- that he actually ran to her father's office at that time just to see her for a specific answer, such as 'When' and 'Where?'

"Then, why don't we--"

That most opportune moment was interrupted with the sound of a door opening. Just then, Ryoichi Hino had emerged out of his office and Kagura Ono followed behind him, holding his briefcase. Ryoichi Hino walked with a sure, slow and steady steps and acknowledged the short bow from his daughter as he passed by the corridor.

"Asano Kamui-san," Ryoichi Hino greeted politely upon seeing Kamui and gave a short bow as a sign of respect even to rivals.

"_Konnichiwa_… Hino-dono," Kamui acknowledged the greeting and bowed lower than his senior.

"Will we see each other in the next DLP meeting?" Ryoichi Hino asked, smiling.

"Yes, we will, Hino-dono," Kamui answered politely.

"Please send my greetings to Asano-dono," Ryoichi Hino told him, ending their small talk. He then turned back and looked at the last person standing by the doorway out of his office, who had just now stepped out of it after they had exited.

"We have much to talk about," Ryoichi Hino said simply… to Kaidou-san who stood by that doorway, which the latter acknowledged. Ryoichi Hino then continued on his slow and steady pace leaving his daughter and the entire Asano party with Kaidou-san. Kagura Ono stole a glance from over her shoulder, managing to throw a contented and smug smile on her face.

Hisato Kaidou almost had that same expression as he walked towards Rei Hino, making sure he stood between her and Kamui.

"Rei-san…" Kamui continued, unfazed at Kaidou-san's presence, much to the surprise of Nishida, whose turn it was to restrain himself from seething at that moment. Nishida was very surprised to see that his young master can still be clueless at this time. It is unlike the younger Asano to read between the lines of any kind of political intrigue, much less something as obvious and simple like this.

"Rei-san," Kamui continued. "As I was saying, why don't we then go out this Saturday. I am free in the afternoon."

"That would be inappropriate," Kaidou-san answered immediately before Rei could speak, causing her eyes to sharpen in irritation at his interruption. But Kaidou-san thought that this was _his_ moment, and he too was surprised that Kamui had not caught on to what is happening, much to his chagrin.

"What do you think, Rei-san?" Kamui asked, his gaze fixed at her with such great hope because she was smiling back at him.

"I have already asked Hino-dono's permission to marry his daughter."

Kaidou-san was expecting Kamui Asano to reel in shame and disappointment. Indeed, there was a long pause and the air immediately turned to ice. It was Nishida who reeled first because his suspicions had been confirmed just now, and no one can see his true expression of disappointment for his young master through heavy colored shades. Rei herself, was reeling inside at Kaidou-san's proud announcement -- a moment where she usually wanted to say something immediately, but she was looking expectantly at Kamui at how he would react.

But Kamui Asano remained unfazed -- completely still. He did breathe a heavy sigh before he looked straight at Rei's eyes and said, "It doesn't matter."

There was another long and awkward pause. And again, the air turned to ice. It was a selfish moment, Rei admitted to herself at that time, for her to wait for his answer just to guard herself by wanting to know what Kamui felt first. His answer felt like it was all crashing down on her, weakening her knees, and at the same time, she wanted to burn him with fire for that smart-aleck of an answer and dismissing it so easily like that.

"It doesn't matter…" Kamui repeated, adding more resolve in Rei to burn him for doing that. "I know Rei keeps her promise."

Kamui took Rei by the arm and forced her a few steps away from Kaidou-san. Her eyes widened in surprise as he looked at her. "I have won the bet. You owe me. And I am free on Saturday."

Rei threw back her own smug smile. She can't help it. Kamui-san just has a mind that's too focused. "Kamui-san…" she began. "Can I ask you to go out with me this Saturday?"

"Of course," Kamui answered quickly, without flinching.

Kamui then gave a short bow to the flustered and bewildered Kaidou-san and motioned his valet to follow him. He walked out of that office corridor without looking back. Why should he? He already had a schedule for Saturday -- confirmed in front of Kaidou-san himself.

"What was it that you promised him, Hino-san?"

Rei was too busy analyzing in her head what had just happened to pay attention to her self-proclaimed fiance. That Kamui even had the audacity himself to pick the day! But she cannot fault him for that. She had been too indecisive. And just now, her feelings had become a whirlwind of things all in one day!

From jealousy to bitterness and now to anticipation.

- tsuzuku -

---------------------------------------------

**chiisai noto:**

Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) I'm a bit not rushing into the final details of Rei and Kamui simply because it seems that their romance has by far been the most torturous! When he is decisive, she is too worried. When she becomes focused, he is distracted. Or when they seem to both be in control, many things come between them. The thing is most people around them would have realized that these two just can't have chemistry. But nobody is surprised than these two that they've actually come this far. I seriously want to see it too if they still would stick around till the end.


	16. 14: Promise

**Jisho/Dictionary:****  
Aaa…** An informal way of saying 'Yes.'**  
BAKA: **Idiot!**  
BENTO. **Packed lunch.**  
DIET. **Japanese Parliament.**  
FUROSHIKI. **Japanese kind of wrapping.**  
HENSHIN:**Transform/Transformation**  
KAMI-SAMA:**God**  
MOSHI MOSHI**: "Hello." (Telephone greeting)**  
NANI: **What?  
**O-MACHINASAI.** Wait!  
**ONEGAI.** Please... (A favor)**  
SENSHI: **Warrior/Soldier. The sailor _senshi_.**  
TEME**. You!! (A derogatory address)**  
TAKARAZUKA**. A theater specialty in Japan where women played all roles, including that of men. They usually dress in very elaborate, sequined and feathery costumes.**  
YOUMA: **Monsters in the 2nd season of Sailormoon.

* * *

**In the Previous Chapter:**

The new enemy has unleashed a new power that suddenly turned Luna and Artemis into their human forms. Even Rei's guardians, Phobos and Deimos, had turned into their human forms which was highly unusual. Artemis's transformation was embarrassing as he had transformed while in Minako's dressing room, causing such a commotion that made Kenta wonder if Artemis was Minako's boyfriend. Sanjounin received a new revelation of his girlfriend, Makoto, while carefully watching "his Prince." The Prince who Sanjounin learned was Mamoru Chiba, collapsed in the mall with a pain in his chest and his first instinct was to rush to his Prince's side and assist him. In this scene, Makoto had just rushed out in a fitted wedding gown which made Sanjounin wonder if he could trust her. In the meantime, Phobos and Deimos reminisce the days of the Silver Millenium where some _senshi_ changed, except for their own Princess who remained cold to this day. Their Princess, Rei, was actually contemplating on the presence she felt in the Sacred Fire and calling Kamui regarding their date but could not do so seeing that Kamui seems to be involved in a lot of affairs with Suzaku-hime. She did not know that Kamui was looking forward to this date, so much so that he rushed to the Diet Building to confront Rei to ask her when she would fulfill her "promise" … only to know that Kaidou-san has already asked permission from Rei's father to marry her.

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

* * *

_Jushichinichi. Jugatsu. _(October 17.)

Makoto remembered that her dream wasn't like this… well, except the part where she was running towards her future _bishounen_ of a husband. Except, that there was no dire emergency and that he had asked to marry her before that.

Now she was leaning her cheek against the wall while she stood on the hospital corridor with Sanjounin. He stood an arm's length from her with his back leaned against that same wall, looking straight at the wall in front of him. Silent for a long time.

"Sanjou…"

Makoto was tired from dragging her skirt from the mall to the hospital. The adrenalin rush she had in carrying Mamoru (while outcarrying her surprised boyfriend due to the mad rush of the emergency) had run out. And dragging those heavy skirts across the hall of the hospital elicited stares of wonder at her weirdness, when women wearing beautiful wedding gowns designed by Enzo Kakei usually bring about a stare of awe in those who see them.

But Makoto sensed that Sanjounin looked unmoved at her plight because he always tried to avoid looking at her. And talking to her. Their days were full of big discoveries, because if Makoto only knew that it was that day that Sanjounin also discovered that his past -- a very faraway past -- echoed almost in the same exact manner today where he failed to save his prince was also the same day he discovered his girlfriend was hiding her days in the mall with her first love.

"How is Mamoru-san?" Makoto asked, wisely avoiding the pressing topic.

Sanjounin sighed and looked at the ceiling, trying to make shapes of something. "He is not doing well," Sanjounin answered worriedly. "The doctors will still run a battery of tests to understand what is happening to him."

"_Sou ka na…_" Makoto sighed, deliberating in her head whether to touch Sanjounin's hand or not, and finally choosing not to.

There was a long silence. And Makoto was itching to ask him what he was feeling to end her misery, but her pragmatic sense prevailed instead. Of course, she knew that none of them would even start the topic. They both followed the philosophy of giving each other the benefit of the doubt… even if it is to the death! And by that, doubt always lingered longer than it should have.

"I'm going to go in and check on Usagi-chan…" she told him nervously. He probably nodded to acknowledge at least. In case he was gone when she steps back outside.

"Makoto…"

The disappointed tone in Sanjounin's voice calling her name almost killed her heart and stopped her heavy wedding skirt dragging tracks. Sometimes, Makoto wished that she was as forgiving as Minako or as clueless as Rei, instead of an empath.

"His name…" Sanjounin replied without hesitation. "I would like to at least know his name."

Makoto cannot believe what he had just said and she restrained her hand from making a fist when she turned to face him. But the desire of doing that soon melted upon seeing look at her for the first time that afternoon. Sanjounin was … vulnerable.

Makoto shook her head slowly, trying to be mature enough to hold back her tears. "It's nothing like that, Sanjou…" she told him, pushing the door to Mamoru's room.

"Nothing at all like that…."

Sanjounin's powers in his faraway past had already begun to awaken so his eye was quick to see the smallest drop glisten on her cheek as she turned away. But at that time, he still wasn't ready to give up.

* * *

_Juhachinichi. Jugatsu. (October 18)_

There was a great big smile on Nishida's face. The elder Asano has just commended him… well, not just that.

'Your loyalty astounds me, Nishida,' praised Junichiro Asano of his valet.

It was a commendation for bringing back the Asano heir to his senses. The day after seeing his son's forlorn appearance and telling Nishida to watch him, Kamui Asano came to his father in a very triumphant mood, even telling the elder Asano great reform ideas such as making new bills to enhance women's standing in the workplace. Kamui Asano sold to his father the idea that women are the dark horse to winning any kind of election, and making them an invaluable asset to the workforce would increase the standing in the economy and thereby easing out the recession.

"Where did Kamui get all those ideas?" Junichiro Asano asked, grinning from ear to ear at the brilliance that runs through his own bloodline.

"I have been mentioning that for years but I suppose nobody pays attention to a former beauty queen," Nanako Asano told her husband, rolling her eyes. "So I suppose someone has sparked an interest in Kamui for him to pay attention."

"That's strange… Suzaku-hime is too… umm… mild to have those kinds of brilliant ideas like yours," Junichiro Asano said in an attempt to save his last statement.

"It's not her then," Nanako answered simply, sipping her tea and looking straight at Nishida.

_Does she know?_ This was what Nishida thought later on, temporarily erasing the contented grin on his face, and shrugged it off later on, preferring to remember his master's compliment.

For sure, if not for his guidance, Kamui would have lost it. How could the young master be dense all this time and not think that even as his own engagement had been publicized, the rival house of Hino would not think the same for their own daughter?

"Good morning, Nishida."

"Good morning!" Nishida greeted on instinct, with a exaggerated perkiness in his voice. "K-k… Kamui?"

Nishida's grin had disappeared. The younger Asano was squatted in the garden wearing his pajamas and robe with his gaze transfixed on the bamboo fountain. His eyes looked extremely exhausted and dark circles surrounded them from lack of sleep. Kamui was too concentrated on watching the water fall on the bamboo stick until it becomes full and heavy enough to pour its contents to the pond. And he reeked of cigarette smoke. He was holding a new one on his hand and about four used cigarette sticks littered by his foot.

_Baka… it was too soon to celebrate!_ The younger Asano was so unpredictable!

"Let me guess…" Nishida began, trying to restrain his frustration. "You cannot sleep?"

Kamui nodded, still hypnotized at the bamboo fountain.

"This is because of Rei Hino again?"

Kamui nodded, to which Nishida took one split second to bump his head to a tree to release all of his irritation.

"How can you not know that they too are planning her marriage as well?"

"What do you mean I don't know?" Kamui threw back the question. "I already knew that since they tried to pair her to that _baka_ Honohouchi."

"You can't be upset over this _baka_ Kaidou!"

"Kaidou?" he chuckled, and took a whiff from his cigarette. "He doesn't deserve her."

"Ahh… While you do?"

"No… "

Kamui paused for a long time and then answered, "Nishida, there is a saying in America that says, 'May the best man win.' In this case, I am 'the best man.' And so…"

Kamui took a whiff from his cigarette and blew smoke from his mouth in the shape of an O, and proudly told his valet, "… she deserves me."

Nishida laughed. "That sounds just a little bit egotistical, Kamui. That _baka _Kaidou feels the same way for sure."

Kamui shrugged. "I can't pinpoint exactly what time it was… maybe it was a very long time ago. But I have already chosen her. That's why despite her own misgivings about her father, or her occasional unjustified coldness towards me, I was able to forgive it."

"Because when I got to know her more, I know that she is the one, Nishida. She is the only one who understands growing up in the same world I do. She is the only one who's not afraid to resist me when I'm thinking of myself. And she is the only one I saw who has the passion to bear becoming the wife of a political figure… however which way she tries to deny that."

Nishida raised an eyebrow… and waited.

Kamui shook his head. "Of course, I'm not denying that I get weak when she looks at me," he said, and then took another whiff of his cigarette and smiled. "So beautiful… from the moment I saw her."

Nishida sighed. "She may have all the potential to become the wife of the next prime minister but you yourself have said that she denies that. You can't make that choice for her, Kamui."

Kamui shrugged again, taking that last whiff from cigarette and breathing out the fumes very slowly. "I don't deserve her, Nishida. She has… exceeded the ideal woman and doesn't think much of being it. That's why she can be that cold."

"But… she deserves me," Kamui continued. "I'm the only one who can tolerate and see through all that. But you're right."

"I can't make her choice," Kamui sighed.

Kamui then stood up and threw the used stick of his cigarette to the pond. "Today is Saturday -- our date," he said forlornly. "It will be a complete loss for her if she doesn't realize that today. But at least, I'm prepared to accept it."

* * *

_Juhachinichi. Jugatsu. (October 18)_

_I would've probably accepted the proposal… if it been somebody else._

Not Kaidou-san's. He was six years too late.

Rei remembered that Kaidou-san was telling her something after Kamui left. Something about … preparation … engagement … her father. Kaidou-san grabbed both her shoulders, shook her from her daze and asked her if she was listening.

She didn't remember if she answered him anything.

_Rin, pyou, kyou…_

The Sacred Fire only has an answer for confronting evil. It may have an answer for Kaidou-san.

_Sha… kai… _

Or it may have an answer for Kamui-san. Because he may be the one needing it….

_Zen…_

"How can you be the only one who sees me?"

Rei gasped. The voice… came from within the Sacred Fire's flames. The Sacred Fire grew the sharpest eyes that stared at her and he became so alive as though his hair became the flames… the expression in blue eyes were as angry as the center flame.

"I thought I have amassed enough dark energy that lay dormant under this Old Kingdom that no weapon of the Silver Millenium can sense… but I have forgotten about you and your special ability…"

Rei bent closer to look.

"… Princess Mars."

Rei gasped loudly this time at hearing her true identity. _Who is he?_ His eyes pierced sharply looking at her with so much disdain that the flames on his hair became so large with anger that it almost reached the ceiling. And what had been distinct in the fire is what he carried in his hand… which seemed like four dark crystals… and he sounded like he was whispering…

_E-l-i-_

"Rei-san."

The vision had disappeared in a whiff and the fire returned to normal at that sound. Rei was shivering a little from her vision from the Fire when she turned to see Haruka and Michiru standing by the door, smiling at her.

"Obviously, Minako-chan can't keep her silence and we're all just very excited that you're finally --" Michiru paused her enthusiastic statement for awhile, seeing Rei's eyes quiver. "Is there something wrong, Rei-san?"

"She's nervous about her date," Haruka said happily, even before Rei can answer. "That is very typical for most girls, isn't it?"

Michiru nodded and giggled. "_Sou da ne…_" she said. "Well, this is why we're going to help you, Rei-san."

"Help me?" Rei asked in surprise.

Haruka nodded, forcefully pulling Rei up to her feet. "It's not everyday that I do this," she pretended to sigh while smirking. "But it's been six years of peace time and I have nothing else to do except help the _senshi_ of Mars to date."

Rei was not able to tell them the details of her vision soon after because before she knew it, she could not resist Haruka's brute strength as the latter dragged her away with Phobos and Deimos suddenly appearing behind Michiru, walking behind her and giggling.

The Artic Circle was still the same desolate place of ice the way since the last battle of the _senshi_ with Metallia. Ice and snow covered all traces of that last skirmish and no one but Elis knew the entire history of that place during this present time.

His figure appeared like he had slivered past the wind. He was extremely happy that he was able to teleport in places on Earth faster than ever before. During his days in the old Earthen kingdom, nobody but the Prince could do that and even he withheld from using that kind of ability so as not to scare his subjects. _How foolish…_

Elis knelt with one knee on the ground and rested his elbow on the other knee, to pay his respects to the original owner of the power he now wields. He recalled how this scene used to be a thriving pasture, a paradise that the Prince himself assigned to Beryl. Her kingdom was flourishing but the Prince had deliberately assigned her to a place completely far from him.

"_You will not tell your Prince about this secret meeting," Beryl told Elis, as they both walked through the once green pastures. "His mind is filled only with thoughts of that Princess."_

"_I won't," Elis assured her. "I promise."_

And then, Elis remembered how Beryl called the power that lay underneath the ground where they once stood. It was a power that he never understood as to why the Prince would neglect. It was a power that was so great that he was sure that the _senshi_ in this present time only defeated to what is only the tip of an iceberg. Beryl knew that it was a great power but she was too weak a vessel to contain it.

And now, as he summoned it to come forth from underneath that very place, the ground shook and geysers shot up from under the ice surrounding Elis with walls of water that immediately turned to ice. And then, the snow around it turned black and its immense vapor quickly melted the walls of ice.

It was rising … this power from underneath. _She was right…._ This power is now his.

Elis smiled as he mustered all his strength to take in all this power. Blood was coming out of his nose and for awhile, he faltered and coughed out some from his mouth.

"I will get back the honor that is denied me, my Prince," Elis smiled again, and remembered his recent conversation of the power that summoned him in her fire. "But first, I will have to put down a fire."

… _I will have to put down a fire._

…

…

Mamoru coughed out some blood and sat up to strengthen his breathing. Usagi tried to hold back tears when she saw him. "Are you alright, Mamo-chan?" she asked worriedly.

"I-I-I have seen him, Usako…" Mamoru said with such fear, it drove Usagi's heart mad.

"Who?"

Mamoru clutched onto his chest and groaned after his incredible pain. "Elis!!!" he shouted. "We have to stop him… Usako…"

And then, four familiar figures flashed before Mamoru's eyes, bowing to him and promising great protection to his cause. Those were the last things he saw before he heard Usagi scream and her image vanished from his vision.

* * *

_J  
uhachinichi. Jugatsu. (October 18)_

Kamui felt a tug in his chest at that same moment -- a terrible feeling as if there was something he had lost.

"Are you alright, Asano-san?" Suzaku-hime, who was standing beside him could see the obvious look of worry on his face.

Kamui shook his head and flashed her a smile, then also gave one to the cameras clicking in front of them. "It's nothing," Kamui told the princess.

Then seeing that there were also TV cameras around, he quickly slipped out of the paparazzi and saw that the footage had been live. His heart leapt instantly. He cannot carry two burdens at once.

"_Moshi, mosh--"_

"Rei-san!" Kamui was almost shouting that Rei had to move her phone away. "Are you watching TV?"

A pause. "_H-hai…"_

Kamui shook his head. "Then if you're seeing me and Suzaku-hime on TV, that doesn't mean that we won't push through later," he told her firmly. "You have to keep your promise."

"O-of course I will!" Rei answered defiantly.

"Good."

Rei could not mask that look of indignation that Kamui just ordered her around because it seemed he could not trust her and then hang up.

"Oh… who was that who called?" Haruka asked as she walked beside Rei. She was wearing an apron and mixing something in a bowl.

"Kamui-san," Rei answered impassively, as if she didn't care.

"Aaah… checking that you keep the date, huh?" Haruka said and pointed to the small television that sat on the kitchen counter. "The Crown Princess is not as beautiful as you. No wonder he wants to make sure."

"She is still the princess," Rei told Haruka. "And he isn't that shallow."

Haruka grinned. "He knows you already, Rei-san. He was right when he called to make sure," Haruka chided. "You have to ease up a little. Even I eased up a little." Haruka loudly mixed the bowl to make a point that her past was not a lightened-up domestic.

"Princess, Neptune-sama is calling you so she can fix your hair!" Phobos entered the kitchen, giggling and pulled her mistress's hand. Then she paused and stared at the television to see Asano-san feeling uneasy, as he put his arm around a masked-man with his long hair tied in a low ponytail.

"This V-Knight… is silly," Phobos said, drooling. "But he is so _kawaii…._"

… _scene shifts..._

"V-Knight?!" Kamui shouted as soon as both he and "V-Knight" reached the empty room behind all the photographers.

"Well, it's a fitting title!" "V-Knight" said proudly, tossing his hair.

"I didn't know you're this strange, Soujirou. But at least this time, you were successful."

"Ssh… not so loud, Kamui-kun…" Soujirou pleaded. "Nobody can know my identity!"

"Why not? My father would laugh if he knew."

"Your father wanted to take a picture of us together because I'm more popular than he is right now," Soujirou shrugged proudly. "This will just help his and your future career."

Kamui coughed. "My future career?" Kamui could not believe his ears. "I think I would just tell him right now."

"_Iyaaaaaaaa!!!!_ Please don't tell anyone!!!" Soujirou shrieked, grabbing Kamui's leg.

"Stop screaming like a girl!" Kamui commanded, a bit nervous. "They think I'm raping you and Suzaku-hime is outside!" He cringed.

"She cannot know!!"

"Of course, Suzaku-hime cannot know! I'll have you deported outside of Japan myself if that happens!"

"Not her…" Soujirou sniffed. "Mizuno-san…."

"Huh?"

"Mizuno-san has joined the Iron Grandmaster and did a sweep of the last episodes… well, almost because she has two losses while I have none, but… " Soujirou sobbed. "… because the last finalist was disqualified, she's going to go against me in the finals!!"

Kamui stared blankly at him, trying his best to understand.

"LIVE!!" Soujirou added, as though that finished the explanation.

"Mizuno-san… " Kamui repeated. "This is the person you are dating?"

Soujirou sniffed. "Just one date and nothing after. I talked to her backstage during one television show and she said that she hates me -- V-Knight -- for dishonoring the game of chess! And she gave a very lengthy and I'm sure, good passionate explanation. She was so passionate that she lost that day."

Kamui patted Soujirou on the shoulder and gently said, "_Baka_."

"She hates me, Kamui-kun."

"If she is as smart as you, she will figure who you are later on. You better just confess."

"Will that make her date me again?"

"No."

"Oh well…" Soujirou shrugged, wiping off his tears and standing on his feet. "I will just prove her wrong and show her how much I honor chess!"

"That means you have to defeat her, Soujirou."

Soujirou paused for a long time to think… swallowed hard and said, "I… I…" He sighed. "I will prove her wrong."

Kamui shook his head in disbelief at Soujirou's weirdness. Never mind the passion, it was forgivable because he too had the same kind. Kamui then picked up his ringing phone and answered.

"Kamui-kun," he heard Kenta say his name authoritatively. "Our Prince has collapsed. Sanjounin has told me that he has mentioned about something called, 'Elis.'"

"Elis?" Kamui repeated. This name was yet unfamiliar and Soujirou who heard that name, has now fallen silent.

"Aaa… the Prince has called Sanjounin… Nephrite," Kenta added. "Do you have any dream like that?"

Kamui shook his head. "No… shall we go to him, Kenta-kun?"

"There's nothing we can learn now that he has collapsed," Kenta answered. "All we have is simply that we know that four of us have the same dream about him as our Prince."

Kamui sighed, sensing the frustration in Kenta's deep voice. "All that's left for us then… is to wait."

* * *

_Juhachinichi. Jugatsu. (October 18)_

"_Teme… _ watch it you! You almost made me miss this shot of SanjouMasa!"

Makoto shrugged. She thought she was used to all the rabid fangirls like this one, who after cursing her for missing a simple shot, ignored her completely soon after that. All of those fangirls were like that, clawing their way into the underground club to be seen, wearing almost nothing and wishing that the man of their dreams would even look away from concentrating on his guitar and on them.

But this was only the second time she was back here with the audience. She usually just waited for Sanjounin out the back entrance because it was safer there. The first time she waited for him in the entrance, two fangirls wanted to tear her apart by being with Sanjounin.

It's been a long time and now she's back here with all of them -- where nobody existed but SanjouMasa.

That morning, SanjouMasa himself was at her apartment. It was around 9 am and it was very unusual for him to be up that early. Makoto didn't know what to say to him. He looked so thin and pale, sitting on the sofa surrounded by all the instruments he stored in her apartment, thumping on her table with his fingers with the beat of his newest song and waiting for her.

Makoto already knew what was going on and where he was going with his instruments. Her first thought was wondering if he had already eaten because he's a zombie in the morning, and, "_Mattaku…__taking those instruments will mean his place is going to be indescribable again!_"

But that morning, Sanjounin was at a loss for words too. He stuttered as soon as he saw her and tried to make an explanation as to where he was going. Makoto couldn't understand it so she waited if he could ask it … that question about Enzo Kankei… her _senpai_. But he didn't ask it. He just continued to stutter with the explanation that his instruments needed to move elsewhere….

"_His name is Enzo Kakei, my senpai… and he was my first love_,_" _Makoto shouted to interrupt, cannot hold it anymore. _"It was the past … I'm not marrying him!"_

Sanjounin shrugged and sighed. _"You want to become a wife, Makoto… is that still your dream?"_

Makoto guiltily looked at him, refusing to nod.

Sanjounin sighed and slung the guitar strap on his shoulder, and with much regret on his voice, he told her, _"I didn't know about that."_

That was this morning, but Makoto still couldn't forget Sanjounin's eyes on her when he left. So tonight, she was back with the rest of the crowd for this gig of his, trying to catch a glimpse of him. Makoto expected that Sanjounin was at his peak when he was playing onstage with his guitar, just like the first time she saw him play.

But that night, Sanjounin was more than good. He was glorious. Sanjounin was trying to lose himself in his own music. He had not known that his powers had been awakened and that was why he was able to draw Makoto's image among all faces in the crowd -- seeing an image of a tear streaming down her cheek.

* * *

_Juhachinichi. Jugatsu. (October 18)_

_His eyes glowed as fiery as the wisps of his hair like flame. "It is time to do what is right…."_

_While another uttered a simple statement of hope as soon as Nishida ushered him into his car, saying, "This time… this time… this time… I don't know…" he smiled. _

_And she took one last glance at the Sacred Fire before Michiru and Haruka will take her and sighed as she whispered, "This time… I know what to do."_

"_This is it." _

_They had all spoken it. So it begins._

The day of "the date."

"Your hands are shaking," Nishida noticed, speaking sternly. "I bet they're cold, too."

His younger master chose wisely to remain silent and just fixed his gaze on the cars in front of him.

"I could feel the tension right now," Nishida continued, looking at Kamui's hands. "It's quite uncomfortable." Nishida was sitting right next to him.

Still silent.

Nishida coughed. "What is the difference between now and the ones before? It's not like this was your first date--"

"--It is our first date, Nishida," Kamui finally answered. The voice on his valet sounded so demanding, itching for an answer and he hated it when Nishida becomes this annoying.

"It's the only one I'm sure of that … we're both looking forward to."

Nishida raised an eyebrow, completely disappointed with the answer. "That sounds so formal. You're going to a date, not discussing bilateral trade terms with the ambassador of America."

* * *

"  
_Masaka…_ is he discussing bilateral trade terms with the ambassador of America???"

"_Nani?_" Michiru could not believe that Phobos can be so… technical.

Phobos pointed to the television with her mouth agape. Kamui Asano was on the television, being assisted by bodyguards, to go through a mob of reporters who pushed and clawed to get a photo of him.

"_Masaka! _How can he ever make it?" Michiru cried worriedly.

"He can't make it?" Rei immediately interjected, surprising all her guests in the kitchen who wondered how she instantly teleported there without her powers.

"Of course, he will! You look so beautiful, Princess!!" Deimos quickly responded, sincerely complimenting her Princess for choosing a beautiful red dress with cloths that criss-crossed and wrapped around her waist, like those gowns she wore in the Silver Millenium.

"It's just the reporters… nothing to it…" Haruka pointed out, trying to pull Rei back to the living room in case she reads the ominous headline…

"Asano Kamui… Asano-dono's, the next Prime Minister's son… soon to wed… Suzaku-sama…" said Rei Hino, as she read slowly, too late for Haruka or anyone to distract her from reading too fast.

"That came with a question mark!" Deimos quickly pointed out, a huge sweatdrop on her head. "They're still not sure! That's probably why the reporters crowded to ask him!"

"Yes… let's get ready," Haruka insisted, pulling Rei's arm to the living room.

"How then can he ever make it…?"

Michiru noticed the sigh after that last word and was quick to catch Rei's disappointed gaze each time she would turn her head up to look. She nudged Haruka's arm and shook her head.

_This will be a lot of hard work…._

* * *

"  
Nishida, how can I get to my date if I don't get inside that car??"

Nishida sweated like crazy because his young master was fuming furiously at him and grabbing the folds on his coat. This meant more than business. It was an emergency.

"Nishida!!!"

"I don't know!!" Nishida almost bawled, if he didn't think at the last minute that he was a trusted bodyguard with a good macho reputation.

Kamui paced for a bit inside the confines of his office. He can't believe he was still in the Diet's vicinity. He should've followed his instinct and not have passed through here to get his father's documents.

"Nishida… "

Nishida rose quickly and bowed. That was a growl. "Yes?" he asked nervously.

"Go get Souji… I mean V-Knight here!"

"V-Knight?"

"_Hai..._He is the only one famous and loud enough to get these people's attention somewhere else!"

"But Kamui… to get V-Knight at this time… it's his final battle with Yuri Ebihara and surely he will win against Ebi-chan and move on to the finals and--"

"--Then do something else, Nishida!!!" Kamui shouted, feeling really helpless. "We have to create an interesting distraction!"

* * *

"  
Don't tell me you're backing out of this, Rei-chan!" It was Haruka's turn to shout.

But Rei remained emotionless, sitting by the Sacred Fire in her beautiful red dress.

"You're not like this, Rei-chan… " Haruka continued. "You gave your word and you follow it. You are a _senshi_ of Mars!"

"I choose my battles well," Rei felt she had to answer serious things like that, especially those that spoke of her duty. "I don't go against a battle I know I've lost."

"Stop being so dramatic," Haruka wanted to tear her hair. "It's not another alien princess trying to destroy the Earth. It's just a date."

A huge rock seemed to fall on Rei-chan along with a huge sweatdrop.

"It's okay, Princess…" Phobos and Deimos insisted.

"You have to go or else, you'll be regretting something worse than Galaxia!"

With that, the Sacred Fire seemed to scream bigger than Haruka, prompting worried gasps to come out of Rei's mouth. It was the same one that had spoken to her through the Fire… and it was trying to speak its name.

Haruka could not understand the Fire's sudden outburst but she understood the fear that lingered in Rei's eyes… that Rei had seen something in the Fire which would make her forego this date. So when Haruka looked at Michiru, Michiru already knew -- they would do everything to make Rei keep her promise.

* * *

"  
What the hell is this?!" Kamui tried his best not to curse when he saw it and put on his helmet instead.

"It's a motorcycle."

"It belongs to the police! Not even Eine would steal--"

"--do you want to go to Tomesatsu Temple or not?"

Kamui huffed and patted Nishida on the back. "My idea was better. All we have to do is make a distraction."

"Hold on to those flowers," Nishida commanded, ignoring his master's arrogant whining. Nishida has no time to even consider it. Kamui wanted a solution and he got it, so he better stop wishing that he was in his car. Nishida didn't even feel comfortable in it because sitting on it almost felt like he was having a wedgie.

But still, he would make the best of it.

Nishida fastened his helmet tight, adjusted his shades, and sharply drew the symbol of a star in the air with his right hand. And then, he clapped his hand once and shouted, "Kamen Rider… Ryu!!"

Kamui was extremely scared that _sentai _hits were bringing out his valet's inhibitions. But he has a date to catch so he concentrated on that as they both sped off.

* * *

"  
Did you see that?" Rei's eyes mouth was agape with surprise and worry as she slid slowly towards the Sacred Fire.

"There is a time for everything, Rei-chan…" Haruka patiently held back the irritation building up in her and blocked Rei's path to the Fire.

"I k-know… but… this is a warning--"

"If there ever was, we can take care of it. Remember, it was our job to see impending danger into the Silver Millenium," Michiru assured her, looking in her Mirror Talisman and seeing nothing but her own reflection.

"Yes, but you have not seen it coming before…" Rei muttered bitterly, trying to remove Haruka's stubborn grasp.

"Princess…" Phobos and Deimos chorused in regret, as their own Princess purposely mentioned the tragedy that was many years ago in the Silver Millenium.

The _senshi_ in the outer planets had not seen the Dark Kingdom's plots and had only seen their attacks during the final days. And they had decided to stay in their posts and watch from beyond as the tragedy happened… until the Silver Millenium was no more. Phobos and Deimos knew however that their Princess said that so they would let her go, believing sincerely that staying with the Sacred Fire and knowing what it wanted to say was more important. Their Princess had seen a new vision and the Sacred Fire was offering her more revelation.

"Hmp… times are different now. Our powers have increased," Haruka smirked, shrugging off that last comment. She then grabbed Rei's arm a little firmer this time and slowly dragged her to the exit.

"Haruka-san!!" Rei begged, trying to remove Haruka's grip on her.

"Rei-chan… haven't you learned anything??" It was Michiru's voice and it was firmer now. Her hand was on Rei's shoulder. "Must you wait for a new Galaxia or Beryl to make you realize it's too late?"

The resistance on Haruka's hand to release its grip from Rei's arm had weakened. Phobos and Deimos saw something in their Princess's eyes to sink.

"You saw it, too… Phobos? Deimos?" Rei whispered weakly, looking straight at the Sacred Fire's increasing flames. She sank to her knees and tearfully hit the floor with her fist in desperation. "Why does it have to appear now? I also want to see _him_…."

Phobos and Deimos ran over to their Princess and knelt down by her side, smiling at her.

"If a new enemy has appeared to you, Princess… then what difference will it be if you choose to face him now than later?" Deimos tried her best to tell her gently.

"If you want to go see Kamui-san right now, you must go, Princess," Phobos urged, hugging Rei's arm. "You should not let things like this withhold you again from the things you want."

"Withhold me… again?" Rei repeated, wiping her tears. "This has happened before?"

Phobos and Deimos nodded regretfully. "But this time is different," Phobos added, giving her Princess a confident, reassuring smile.

"Because now… you are more powerful."

"And you still have time to do this, Rei-chan," Michiru said firmly, glancing at her watch and trying to conceal her excitement.

"It's all up to you."

* * *

"  
It's all up to you now… Kamui," Nishida said, with his hand on Kamui's shoulder, and sounding so seriously soap-opera like Kamen Rider Black. "It's up to you not to mess this up like you've done so before."

Kamui coughed, removing his valets hand on his shoulder. "I will try not to mess it up again, Nishida," he assured.

"Then why did you forget these flowers?" Nishida forcefully shoved the bouquet in his master's arms with a push so forceful that it almost made Kamui trip on his back. Good thing Kamui kept his balance… and his composure as to not give one forceful push back to Nishida that would do more than just take him off balance.

"I wish you well," Nishida bowed, and almost tearfully, hugged his master and said, "People will think the very same thing of you as your father during his wedding… that you're also such a lucky bastard."

Kamui was more peeved that the quick and strong hug flattened the bouquet he was holding, than the sincerely sarcastic comments he got.

Nishida got onto his motorcycle and did a star impression in the air with his finger. "I shall be on guard," said his valet, who was still in Kamen Rider Black's character, speeding off into the sunset and whistling the Kamen Rider Black theme with his stolen police motorcycle.

Kamui sighed… of relief, now that the crazy bodyguard was gone and he was finally in the Tomesatsu Shrine. He didn't understand why Rei had chosen this far off place. He was too excited to go so he didn't ask anymore. She was a _miko_ anyway so he just assumed that she preferred to go on a date in places where she was more familiar. (Although weird.)

His heart wanted to leap out of his chest from all the excitement. He ran towards the Shrine grounds until he saw the _torii _posts, which were landmarks of hope. He was close. He is very close… and he's almost thirty minutes late and he was praying that she had not left… that impatient, stubborn one that she is.

It was nearly dark and running as fast as he could go, he failed to notice everything, until a flash of light blinded him… for a moment.

When he had finally retrieved his vision, he was able to see about fifteen people outside the Shrine Entrance, each grasping territorially to their own cameras and tripods to get a good shot of Kamui Asano at the Tomesatsu. How the reporters were able to follow him up to this far-off place was a skill he needed to figure out.

"Why are you here, Asano-san?"

"Is this where you're going to marry Suzaku-sama?"

The statements went from one ear to the next. Kamui patiently walked in their midst to get through the Shrine Entrance because that was what most important thing in his mind right now than dodging all these people. The constant shoving and pushing plucked the leaves out of his bouquet and pressed the petals on it so that his photo in the morning papers will show Kamui's surprisingly calm face among a crowd of reporters, and holding a withered bouquet for no one knows what reason.

And still, the intended recipient of that bouquet was not in front of that Shrine Entrance thirty minutes after the time she had promised.

"Is Suzaku-sama coming over finally, Asano-san?"

"Will the engagement still push through even if Hino-dono would get the Prime Minister position?"

"You don't mind us waiting with you, _ne…_ Asano-saaaan?"

Kamui stared at the empty space in front of him and his heart seemed to sink every minute. He glanced at his watch and concluded that it was just after all, just thirty minutes late. And she had given him her word -- which was all he had should he choose to trust that word and stay with a crowd of people he didn't like the most.

Kamui looked back at that last person and smiled so cheerfully that all the flash bulbs in their cameras blinked in unison to get that rare, wonderful shot of him.

_No… he doesn't mind waiting…._

* * *

"  
_Onegai… Kami-sama…._"

Rei stood in her red dress holding the two _bento_ boxes wrapped in _furoshiki_. (She had done that herself.) And she was freezing that Haruka put a scarf around Rei's neck.

"Just as I suspected… the reporters would find out about this place… even though we carefully chose it," Haruka said regrettably, shaking her head with her arms folded.

"What is your plan?" Michiru asked, standing beside Haruka.

"I will go ahead," Rei answered, surprising Haruka and Michiru with that firm answer. "I'll just ignore them."

"They're relentless," Michiru warned. "They've put you in the newspapers before and now you'll just be better prey because Asano-san is a huge headline."

"I'll sneak in somehow…"

"Where to, Rei-chan?" Haruka raised an eyebrow.

"I'll make ways."

"Give me an example," Haruka challenged.

"I'll see as I go," Rei said, taking a step.

"You don't know what to do, don't you?"

Rei shook her head. "No," she confessed, still firm in her tone. "I'm already late and have broken my word." She shivered as she held on to the _bento_ boxes in her hands.

"Now, I just want to see him…."

Haruka and Michiru looked at each other when they heard Rei finally confess that out of all the stubborn statements. It took a lot of convincing but at least, they got her here. Even more so were they touched when they saw Rei walking steadily up the Shrine steps ready to keep her date.

"_O-machinasai…_" Michiru shouted her very famous _senshi_ introduction.

Rei halted and looked back to see Michiru drawing out her violin from the hood of Haruka's yellow sports car. Rei didn't understand what's going as soon when Michiru leaned at the back o the car and patiently tuned her violin.

Haruka cooly combed her hair with her fingers, leaned towards Rei and smirked, "We have a plan," she told Rei happily.

* * *

"  
What was that?"

Fifteen minutes had gone and it was only now that the cameras stopped clicking. Kamui also heard the tune that was playing, that to which everybody had stopped about their business to listen. It had a sort of magic to calm and silence all agendas … it was very enchanting.

"That sounded like a symphony from the last concert by the Philharmonic--"

"--Yes… I remember I wrote it in my column as well… this is an original composition and there's no doubt about it!"

"Kaiou Michiru!!!"

The whole crowd screamed. Kamui didn't even know who this Kaiou Michiru was. The invitations from his mother to go visit the Philharmonic concerts didn't interest him.

"_Minna-san!!!!I_" a reporter screamed, pointing beyond the Shrine steps. "Kaiou Michiru is here along with her girlfriend, Tenou Haruka-sama!!!!"

"Tenou Haruka? The _takarazuka _actress???" It was a male reporter who now screamed.

"They're playing just a few meters away where Haruka-sama's sports car is parked!!!"

"Let's gooo!!!!!"

Kamui was surprised to see them all abandoning him… not that he minded it at all, but he just can't seem to understand the mindset of these reporters even if they hung around him way too much. The frenzy in them leaving to see Haruka and Michiru was greater than the one he received when he arrived at the Tomesatsu. So that _takarazuka _actress must be one big hell of a news.

"Tenou Haruka?" Kamui repeated her rather familiar name. "Didn't Sanjou-kun almost get jealous over her for mistaking her as having an affair with his girlfriend?"

Kamui chuckled after he spoke his thoughts out loud. But there was nobody to comment. They had all dispersed and he remained sitting on the cold floor with his coat on and his withered bouquet, looking at the closed doors of the Tomesatsu Shrine.

Forty-five minutes had gone and … still…she had not arrived. The surprising thing was that his thoughts were now empty. He had thought about the pros and cons this morning before he even ventured to come to the Tomesatsu. In the end, what made him persist was not the rational thought… just the faith in her word, the one he believed she was -- the person who deserved him.

"Well… " Kamui said, rising up to his feet as the chilly wind blew leaving some autumn leaves on his hair. "I hope she realises it!"

But the moment he turned his back on the Tomesatsu to concede, he had heard footsteps running, causing in him a reflex to halt and patiently still the swift beating that his heart caused in his chest.

Because slowly rising from the steps were the visible vapors from someone's breath… and then he saw Rei's raven hair shining in the light, till she completely rose wearing a beautiful red dress and dark purple scarf… and running towards him.

It was a very surreal moment because Kamui waited all this time to see her, wishing that time would hurry up so that he could finally do so, but it seemed as though Rei floated through the steps of the Tomesatsu as she ran ad the tendrils of her hair flew in the wind in slow motion. It was surreal because this was how Kamui wanted to remember this day.

Rei was now close enough for Kamui to finally hear her panting as she ran. And when Rei was just a few paces close, she stopped in her tracks to try and catch her breath.

Stuttering at first in trying to form words in her mouth, Rei finally composed herself and smiled happily at him, wishing that her mind would be able to speak on its own to tell him how far she ran just to catch him and was just so happy to see him.

But ironically, with her eyes shining and in an unusual cheery tone, all she told him was, "I'm so glad you made it…"

_I wanted so bad to see you._

The last statement was a word that her tired mouth had longed to say but in between shortness of breaths, but was not able to.

- tsuzuku -

---------------------------------------------

**chiisai noto:**

Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) I'm beginning to dislike Rei's stubbornness. I mean she's my favorite character and I'm writing the story. But I guess this is how it is as I see it! It's not like Rei's going to change suddenly just because of Kamui. Nor will Kamui give up his dreams immediately just because he met Rei. (Which is good! He's ambitious.) In the usual love story I guess, people would change for the ones they fall inlove with. But I doubt that those happen often in real life. And even if they do, they'd be pretty temporary.


	17. 15: Decision

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 15 - Decision**

**Jisho/Dictionary:**

**ANOO…**Umm...  
**BAKA:**Idiot!  
**BENTO.**Packed lunch.  
**DIET.**Japanese Parliament.  
**DOKUN DOKUN. (Also DOKI-DOKI)** Heart beating. Nervous.  
**FUROSHIKI. **Japanese kind of wrapping.  
**GOMEN.** Sorry.  
**HENSHIN:**Transform/Transformation  
**KONBANWA.**Good evening.  
**HAI**. Yes.  
**HENSHIN**. Transform.  
**MASAKA.**No way! (Oh no!)  
**MOSHI MOSHI**: "Hello." (Telephone greeting)  
**NANI:**What?  
**SENSHI:**Warrior/Soldier. The sailor _senshi_.  
**SOU KA NA… **Is that so?  
**WAKARIMASHITA.**I understand.  
**YOKATTA.** Hurray!

**In the Previous Chapter:**

Because he can't understand Makoto's "illicit" affair with her former "_senpai"_ (now known as wedding boutique owner, Enzo Kakei), Sanjounin moved all of his instruments from Makoto's house and drowned himself in his own music … leaving Makoto on her own.

And while Elis continues to increase in power which in turn makes Mamoru's strength weaker, Kamui waded through every obstacle -- from nosy photographers to Nishida's illusions of a _sentai_ hit called _Kamen Rider Ryu_ -- just to meet his date with Rei. Rei herself ran through a bit of trouble, mostly feeling insecure about Kamui's fiance than sensing the image of the new enemy in the fire. But with Haruka and Michiru's help, she was able to make her way to where she can't wait to be -- in front of Kamui's presence.

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

* * *

The night sky was very clear -- so many stars and not one cloud to blur the constellations. Then there was the beautiful and luminescent full moon that was a perfect centerpiece of it all. Above all else, the atmosphere was cool and quiet. The sound of crickets chirped with some croaking frogs in a nature orchestra completed the entire serene setting of the garden at the Tomesatsu Shrine.

_Sigh._

Kamui can't believe that he noticed all that -- that he can hear all that! He didn't even know that there were frogs at the Tomesatsu! (He hates frogs.) When he glanced at his watch, he noticed that it had been almost twenty minutes since he stood in that garden with Rei Hino.

And she was still standing there -- not saying anything. Right now, a vapor of breath came from her sigh, which one can see clearly because it was a bit cool that autumn night.

"_Anoo…_ can I help you with that?" Kamui asked, referring to the _bento_boxes wrapped in _furoshiki_ she was carrying. It was also his attempt at a hint on what to do next on this date since he felt uncomfortable standing in the cold doing and saying nothing for the past twenty minutes.

"No," Rei replied immediately, grabbing onto her _bento_ boxes and turning away before Kamui could get a hold of them.

"I mean… this is for later," she added defensively in case she thought he was offended by that.

"_Sou…_" Kamui sighed, being rather disappointed that he could not at least get a conversation from her.

So they stayed there for another eight minutes and Kamui now felt that his right foot was sore. He looked at her hoping that would be the hint for them to walk at least, and then talk. That's how dates are usually. He knows she's been on some of them… not that they talked a lot on the first date. (They usually talked more on 'special unforeseen' occasions.)

But Rei was either looking up towards the sky or looking down, seeming so worried when she did that.

"Rei-san…_anooo…_ "

"_Hai?_"

Kamui regretted that he began to say something, even as he believed his right foot to be sore for resting most of his body weight on it for a long time. He wanted to know why Rei wanted to stay in this same garden all this time but he also didn't want his impatience to win and make him lose this date.

"I… do you want to go inside?" Kamui asked.

"Why?"

"I m-m-might have a f-fever…" Kamui had ran out of tactful words and felt so uneasy with lying.

"_Sou ka na…_ can you please wait for little, little more?" Rei spoke that last phrase so distinctly cute, which was unlike her.

"Eh?"

"It is… not yet done," she replied feebly, her eyes gleaming to plead him to stay.

Kamui was weak to those eyes. It's rare to see this strong woman to plead with those sharp eyes! His heart sank at seeing them so he knew that he would cave in to her request, and he would've done so even if he really was dying out there with a fever than a hypothermic sore foot. But this isn't how he wished his date with Rei Hino would be. He planned this to be at least that final night where he could be with her and at least make himself realize where his soul belonged to… before he jumps back to reality that is his father and his future alliance with Suzaku-hime.

"Rei-san."

"_Hai?_" Rei responded but her gaze now turned to the clear night sky above her.

"You must be getting cold."

Kamui didn't wait for any reply and immediately walked closer to her and undid the scarf around her neck. For awhile, Rei was distracted by all this and she glanced at him, confused, and then stared straight up into the sky even when Kamui had finished re-wrapping the scarf tightly around her neck.

And even as he was still gently clinging onto Rei Hino's scarf, gently caressing it, and counting down to every second until he could finally tug her forward with it and have Rei Hino's face closer … and closer…

"Why isn't it done?" Kamui heard her speak clearly enough that he could feel the slight echo of her voice on his face. There was another sigh on that voice and Rei was still distracted with something far above her, that she can't even lose that focus despite the nearness of Kamui's cheek next to hers.

So both of his hands let go of that tug on her scarf, and he moved back two steps away from her being greatly disappointed at her reaction. And that one incident alone was enough to drive him with so much regret because sadly… she wasn't even aware of the fact that he had been walking backwards slowly with more than ten paces away by now.

A booming sound alerted Kamui which made him halt his retreat. Amazingly enough, this still didn't faze Rei Hino at all. But her eyes sparkled and her lips angled in a smile as flashes of colored light from above began to shadow on her face.

"Kamui-san… " she called softly. "Please look up."

The stars were added with brilliant zooms of light and they all exploded into colorful rays and comets. There were fireworks above the roofs of the Tomesatsu… fireworks in autumn. And beautiful ones too like the ones at the Sumida, that Kamui surmised, were leftovers from the ones that Hino-dono sponsored at that festival -- the same one where he successfully "kidnapped" Rei and took her to a boat in the Sumida to enjoy those fireworks.

Now that her surprise finally caught his attention, Rei felt completely exhilarated seeing the huge grin on Kamui's face as he looked up to see the lights. She was surprised to see that he was a bit far away now from her so she walked slowly towards him.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Rei asked, after a huge comet of fireworks flew on high and the lights that broke from it glittered like remains of a supernova.

The red glitters of light fell supremely on Rei's cheeks. "Yes…" he had agreed.

And it was then that the fireworks ended and the last hues and sparkles from the last one that was fired were fading that Rei could feel Kamui's gaze upon her. Of all the gazes on her, it was one she surprisingly didn't mind. It was gentle… It was honest.

It had no agenda.

But she blushed all the same. "H-here, Kamui-san…" Rei frantically said as he handed her one of the _bento_ boxes wrapped in _furoshiki_ she was holding. She was hoping that the dimness would not make him see her cheeks burn.

Kamui of course, was too puzzled to notice that, because she was handing him a _bento_ box. "_N-nani_…?" he asked, confused.

"Let's eat that there," Rei immediately answered, pointing to the wooden stairs of the Shrine Sanctuary.

"_Sou …_" Kamui answered, stumped, staring at the _bento_ box and then began thinking… "Did you cook this, Rei-san?"

"_H-hai!_" she answered, sitting on the wooden steps and bringing out the chopsticks from her _furoshiki_ to distract him from asking any more questions.

Kamui looked at the _bento_ box, stared at the details of how it was wrapped, and smiled. "On your own?" he asked.

Rei huffed at his disbelieving look, tossed her hair and answered, "I had some help. But you had said before that you always wanted a home-cooked meal."

"You remembered that, Rei-san?"

She nodded. "Remember that you have said that during _O-bon_?"

Kamui could not believe it. She remembered… such a tiny detail but she remembered. He wanted to jump up and down and call Sanjou-kun and the others to celebrate! They kept taunting him that all his efforts towards this woman were in vain but now they're all wrong! She even prepared fireworks especially for today! There was really a huge parade bigger than those hosted by the DLP happening in the inside of Kamui's head.

"_N-nani_?" It was Rei's turn to wonder hugely at Kamui's huge smile and silence. (Forgive her just a little. She's new at going out on dates with someone she… has prepared great lengths for.)

Kamui's thought bubble finally burst and found himself with Rei Hino right there at the Tomesatsu, staring at him so beautifully bewildered. It was a look that made him realize that he was back in the real world once again.

"You would make a great wife, Rei-san," he complimented with a sigh, staring lovingly at the _bento_ box in his hands, appearing to be so honored that it touched Rei so much.

"Kaidou-san is very lucky."

That was until Kamui had to add those words, of course.

"That is still not final. I will have to talk to my father about that," she remarked, annoyed that Kamui had to mention that she would make a good wife… in relation to Kaidou-san.

"Are you still against becoming a politician's wife, Rei-san?" Kamui asked that, after a long pause. He had considered, of course, what the implications were in this kind of question. But this was his to be his last date with Rei Hino anyway so there was nothing to lose.

Predictably too, Rei felt uneasy at that question because Kamui looked at her with those gentle yet inquisitive eyes again. "Not completely… " she struggled to say, looking away from him. "I just don't like that my father has to decide my future for me."

Kamui chuckled for a while at her 'Not completely' statement.

"If that was the case…" he told her. "… Then you could've just married me."

The pause this time was uncomfortable… but only for Rei. Kamui had determined this day for him and was resolute in determining a decision for Rei Hino. She, on the other hand, can only hear her heart thump _Dokun-dokun…_ distracting her mind from giving any firm answer.

"You could've signed the agreement with my lawyer and then this problem with Kaidou-san would never have happened!"

_Eh?_ That wasn't the romantic remark she thought she would hear from Kamui. It would've been better if it had carried somewhere along the lines of, "_Despite being engaged to Suzaku-sama…_" Rei was managing to keep her composure despite her false hope being broken. That incident where his lawyer came to Waseda to give her a marriage proposal as if it were a business or political deal was something she still found insulting to this day.

"Signed the agreement with your lawyer?" Rei repeated haughtily. "Is that how old-fashioned the Asano are, forming alliances through marriages?"

Kamui smirked. "Yes, it's possible," he answered simply. "Others are done through courtship, which seems to work with Suzaku-sama."

Now, that raised a nerve or two.

"So that's how you treat her?" Rei asked, her voice raised with her anger rising. "That you must just find a good wife? Like this is some sort of business deal?"

Kamui waited a few moments for her to breathe and calm down because he had seen the fire rise in her eyes and water welling around to consume them. Like almost every other man, he did not want to risk a situation where she would cry on his account, so he stepped forward and raised his hands to her as though in surrender.

Then, slowly walking towards her, he spoke gently. "I am no ordinary man, Rei-san," he said softly. "I am the heir to the Asano."

"Every man must be rational in choosing a good wife, but my choice must be something higher than that standard," he continued. "So I take this very seriously."

Rei sighed as she listened, blowing some cold steam in the air with her breath to calm her own heartbeat, as Kamui walked slowly towards her. All the things that he said actually sounded reasonable, but lacking. The image of Usagi and Mamoru going through many obstacles just to save each other was something she had hoped he would long for, as well. That if it would come to anything that serious, why not go forward with everything else at stake? How could he not consider it?

"How could you not consider love… in a marriage?" Rei then ventured to ask.

There was a calm in his eyes.

"Love is a choice, Rei-san," he answered. "It's not just a feeling. It's a choice of staying with someone despite everything else… which was probably what your mother chose when she let Hino-dono pursue what he thought was saving his country."

That struck something inside Rei because that concerned her own mother, but Kamui continued. "Maybe what you mean is being _in_love, Rei-san?"

She was still awestruck.

"Because everybody like Kaidou-san, even that _baka_Honohouchi, could not help that about you. It's easy to understand that, because even I can't think straight with just a single memory of you!"

Kamui laughed to himself for a moment, disbelieving how talkative he was. "With you, Rei-san… falling inlove is easy."

Time stood uncomfortably still with Rei Hino again. This time, she exhaled all the anger she had in exchange for relief in hearing Kamui himself speak those words. She was a simple girl after all. She had desired to hear those words from him all along. Except, Kamui had his own way of delivering it. He had a certain logic and eloquence even to explain that he is inlove.

He was too eloquent and he would truly make a good politician, because Rei not only found all the points he said to be sound. She now began to feel the consequence of the points he raised made a difference in her life!

If she agreed to marry a politician after all, why does it have to be Kaidou-san? _Yes… why him?_ Six years ago, she fell inlove with him with just a glimpse of his life. Now, she saw his whole life unfold before her eyes as well as the full revelation of who he really is. Was that really what she wanted?

The answer to that is obvious to Rei Hino now, looking at her own date who had just now confessed that it was too easy to fall inlove with her. As if that helped! It was too late. Even after all has been said, this was to be the last time with him because he after all belonged to Suzaku-sama.

All this regret, frustration and still the ongoing denial in her mind was just too much. Rei's felt the very heaviness physically settle deep in her chest that she had to inhale and exhale faster to catch her breath, and still have the strength to take the risk and unload it once and for all.

"Back then, I was just afraid… " she told him, in between her gasps. "… To be with someone just like my father. And I kept denying all the other good things that he has done."

"I am not like your father, Rei-san… I--" Kamui tried to say defensively.

"--It is too late now though, isn't it, Kamui-san?" Rei interrupted, trying to smile as she asked, completely resigned to her fate.

"Too late?"

"Because you and Suzaku-sama--"

"What's too late?"

"--she is really above all good standards. And Suzaku-sama would make a really good wife--"

"--WHAT'S TOO LATE, REI HINO?" Kamui was trembling with impatience.

Rei gasped, sighed for a moment and smiled at Kamui. "If you would just marry me instead… K-kamui-san…."

That statement slashed through Kamui in an instant, freezing him where he stood.

"… B-because…" Rei struggled to say.

He bit his lip in constant impatience.

"B-because… I love you."

It was still.

It was done. At least, for Rei. The courage that she painfully mustered to say those words had ran out, leaving her feeling the most vulnerable in her life. She can't even look up to see his reaction. There was still fear in her expectations.

But what was least for her was everything to Kamui. All night what he wanted was a resolution from her, a decision. He not only received that from her. He received a confession! And one that was no less than knowing that Rei Hino herself… loved him. Of course, he can't feel anything else -- he was extremely elated!

"Say it again, Rei-san…"

"_N-nani_?"

He took two steps closer towards her. "Tell me again, Rei-san… I just want to hear it," Kamui told her, grinning from ear to ear. "Because it is not too late."

_It is not too late_.

_Not._

_Too._

_Late._

Rei caught the last glimpse of him walking towards her… smiling. But the new hope she just felt was immediately displaced when a darkness crossed the sky. It is now near. She had felt it… the same one that morning … the one who had called in the fire.

_Dokun… dokun.._

Kamui himself stopped in his tracks and with his eyes widened in surprise as he later mentioned that name.

"Elis?"

The ground had turned to darkest red and even darker shadows tried to reach where Kamui stood. And with his known reflexes, Kamui had managed to dodge the red strands of hair that wished to reach him. Rei was surprised to see this kind of skill in Kamui because this was no ordinary human enemy. She too managed to dodge the first attack but was too distracted in keeping Kamui out of the way that she fell on the second attempt to reach Kamui.

There were now strands of dark red hair that strangled her body. Although these strands were fine, they throttled around her like rope, disabling her to move.

"Rei!!" Kamui frantically struggled to tear the strands around her, successfully tearing the ones around her neck for her to enable breathing.

An impetus in him suddenly triggered a bigger danger from behind him, so he instinctively leapt from where he stood away from the strands that were about to whip him. The success in dodging this deadly attack was incredibly impressive since Kamui was able to leap like a skilled_ninja_ from where he stood, that his skills here surprised him as well.

But Rei was far from danger as she forcefully tried to tear herself away from the strands. Kamui himself could not bear to see this all happening and tried with all his strength to let her go, to no avail, as the force inside him grew more to tell him that the darkness he had felt earlier was closer.

"Elis!!!" Kamui shouted in anger, not knowing to whom or where he was shouting to. "Whatever you want with me, just let her go!"

"Let her go?"

A figure slipped so seamlessly from the shadows, as though this dark figure himself was easily lifted from water. His hair was of the darkest of reds, like those that wrapped around Rei herself, and he was wearing something foreign and old, like the one Kamui saw in the dreams he had shared with Sanjounin, Kenta and Soujirou.

"Why should I let her go?" Elis snidely asked, tightening the grasp on Rei's body which only made her scream in pain. "Do you know who this is?"

Elis looked closely at Rei so that his contemptuous maroon eyes would meet hers. "I will put out fire today," he told her.

"Run, Kamui-san!" Rei ordered that instant, seeing the very darkness in the eyes of her now known enemy.

"Leave her alone, Elis!" Kamui instead ordered the new enemy, despite his state. "You don't need her!"

Elis's eyes widened in surprise. "Why don't I need her?" he asked Kamui snidely again.

"You only need me. And our Prince."

The grasps on Rei's body had withered as soon as Elis heard that. "You have been awakened…" Elis answered, completely amazed at Kamui's declaration.

Rei fell weakly on the ground after the strands have been loosed and was about to tell Kamui to run, only he himself looked at her quickly giving her the same instruction. She followed it immediately, running away farther from the scene, while the enemy's gaze is on Kamui.

This was the only way. Rei had not gone very far because her impatience to stay with Kamui took the lead in her emotions. She pulled out her compact and uttered her _henshin_ phrase, "Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!"

In the meantime, Elis had chosen to stay with Kamui and circled around him extremely fascinated.

"It's been awhile, my brother," Elis told Kamui. "It seems that very little has changed with you."

"Just a little?" Kamui chuckled. "Why do you say that?"

Elis smiled. "You are still the same resolute one of all the Earth's kings. Very stubborn. Same weakness."

"Yes… why let go of a good thing?" Kamui shrugged, trying to play his role, and staring at the maroon strands on his feet.

Elis grinned, looking very pleased. "Tell me how you've done it?" he asked.

"Done what?" Kamui avoided his gaze.

"How you have retained your memories and your powers… when this body of yours is not the one that was resurrected by the Dark powers?" Elis asked, drawing closer and closer to Kamui.

Kamui had no known answer for that. He was hoping that his poker face would do well enough not to disclose that fact to Elis. (It was usually effective enough for politicians.) But this was an enemy Kamui did not know… except in his dreams -- dreams with stories that were not even complete yet. The only common thing in there was Elis and …

"… Our Prince," Kamui answered, even surprised at this sudden realization. "It is… our connection to our Prince."

It was an answer that seemed to satisfy Elis. "That connection still runs through all of us…" Elis sighed. "Even until now… despite the fact that his treachery cost us everything! Even our very Kingdom!"

The strands of hair that surrounded Kamui slowly began to diminish as a dark energy surrounded Elis, dissolving those around him. "We cannot be deceived by him anymore. We must regain this kingdom back!" he passionately told Kamui.

Elis raised his hand and four dark stones of varying shapes floated in front of Kamui. "I was able to get this back from _him_, so I was able to find you," Elis told Kamui. "I can find our other brothers with these!"

"Join me again, Jadeite… join me and the Dark Kingdom again!"

_Jadeite…_ ?

"We will again right the wrong that was done by our very own Prince!"

_Jadeite?__What did he call me?_

Kamui's bewildered countenance confused Elis as his _brother_ stood motionless and distraught all of a sudden. Elis drew nearer and nearer to Kamui and began to open his mouth to call his name, J--

"Mars Flame Sniper!!"

A fiery arrow ran past between Elis and Kamui, and both successfully leapt back to dodge it just in time, with Kamui still stuck in his trance and was able to dodge it by mere instinct.

This only aroused the anger that was in Elis and the dark energy around his body increased. "I thought I gave you the mercy of at least letting you run and tell your allies!" Elis shouted to the source of the arrow.

"Are you asking for it?" Elis boldly challenged.

Eternal Sailormars appeared from behind the shrine building with the flaming bow and arrow she was aiming at Elis, lighting the hues of purple in her hair. Kamui-san was very near Elis but she was very confident that she will make this shot. "Just let him go!" she ordered.

Elis laughed. "You may be the only one who has felt the Dark Energy arrive once again… just like you did before," Elis told her. "But your Crystal cannot save you all this time."

Swiftly, Elis disappeared, reappearing in only a matter of seconds right behind Kamui who was remained transfixed in mental limbo. Then he immediately held Kamui's neck with one arm, and tying Kamui's hands and feet with his hair.

This sent a panic to Eternal Sailormars watching from where she stood. "Stop it!" she shouted, bent more than ever on aiming her arrow at Elis. "Or I will kill you!"

Elis laughed, amidst the groans that Kamui now felt from the pain Elis inflicted. "Just me? Or will you kill him too!"

With that, Eternal Sailormars could not resist the blur in her eyes from the tears she was holding back. She reluctantly released the power that she held in the Flame Sniper she wielded. "I want you to release him," she commanded again, more calm this time.

Kamui did not know this new ally. She was a stranger. Yet he was certain that _she_ seemed familiar, though she had not appeared in any of his dreams. "Run…" he weakly commanded her.

"Tsk tsk tsk… " Elis jeered, tightening the grip of his arm around his neck. "As I mentioned earlier… same weakness."

With his free hand, Elis pulled one of the stones that floated before him with his dark powers and had it stay right in front of Kamui. Eternal Sailormars gasped, trying her self control not to jeopardize anything by going too close. She recognized those stones -- the ones that were sealed in glass in Mamoru's apartment. About five years ago, these same stones had something to do with the corruption of Mamoru's _Barazuishou_, which led his own body to weaken, in the same state that he is now in.

Now right before Eternal Sailormars's eyes, one of these stones is being corrupted by tremendous dark energy, and after being enveloped with all that matter, Elis has transformed the stone to a pointed dark crystal, which he now held in his free hand like a dagger.

"You may have been reborn in this new kingdom by other means… but Beryl has resurrected your dark self through this stone," Elis spoke these words with his mouth next to Kamui's ear. "And now I will make make sure that you will return as an ally of the Dark Kingdom."

"_Yamete!!"_Eternal Sailormars shouted in alarm as Kamui screamed in pain when Elis plunged the dark crystal dagger in his heart.

The dark crystal dagger roughly sunk in Kamui's chest, as though his heart was reluctant in accepting it. There was no blood or wound but Kamui could feel the piercing pain. It was only when the dark crystal sank that Elis released his hold on Kamui, and the latter fell on his knees, mustering his strength to now conquer the images that appeared in his mind.

_His own prince standing in front of his throne, and the other three genuflected with him…_

_The image of the great Moon hovering in the sky…._

_The Silver Millenium…._

_A red haired queen he called Beryl…_

_A dark shadow … surrounded in fire…._

The dreams he had were more real now than ever, and these moving images appeared in his mind even when he was still awake… happening consecutively. Sometimes even all at once. He now struggled with mental chaos and he tried his best to sort through all these. Kamui stood there, whispering names he only now knew and speaking to the scenes that played in his brain as though his Prince and his comrades were there.

"What did you do to him?" Eternal Sailormars demanded angrily, not bearing to see Kamui in such a pitiful tormented state that seemed to drive him to total lunacy, and hating her very self that moment for being powerless.

"Too many memories," Elis answered. _Just one more thing. _

Elis smiled in satisfaction and motioned with his hands to have all the other stones before him to disappear. With his right hand, strands from his dark red hair lengthened once again to bundle into what now seemed like strong pieces of hair formed as a sharp-edged weapon.. aiming straight at Kamui.

"_Masaka…"_ she gasped.

Now she saw nothing else but the sinister look of her now known enemy's face, mocking her and laughing at her, with no other intention but to kill Kamui. This is the very thing that she cannot allow.

Eternal Sailormars screamed to unleash a huge wave of raging flames from her Fire Soul straight at Elis.

Elis smirked. He looked straight through the flames that are about to come at him and said, "We shall meet again… Princess of Mars." Then he disappeared into the air, with his dark energy causing the flames to attract its attention to Kamui.

"_Iyaaaa!!"_ Eternal Sailormars screamed, upon realizing her grave error. She ran her fastest towards Kamui, screaming at him to run away from the flames.

Kamui did see the bright red flames that were headed straight at him. The sense of impending danger preceded the sorting of his memories, yet he remained still at this distance to process a familiar sight … _of a beautiful, raven-haired woman in the midst of the flames in front of him. _

"The Princess of Mars…." Kamui repeated in a whisper, now trying to determine his mixed feelings of fear and attraction.

But as the fire drew close enough to hurting him, Eternal Sailormars screamed to no avail and her voice sent Kamui's powers running. He raised his right arm as his human attempt to shield himself from the inevitable burning, but as the flames burned part of the sleeve of his suit, he was able to raise a thin shield around him, enabling him to remain standing as the flames faded away.

He looked at the stranger in front of him as soon as it was safe to do that. He forced himself to look at the one who almost killed him. He just can't help it. She was… important.

And she smiled at him. Relieved that he was safe.

"Kamui-san!!" Eternal Sailormars screamed his name after he fell to the ground, unconscious.

There was a sudden emergence of power that had disrupted the flow of serenity that was at the present time. And so it was that at the moment Kamui fell unconscious by Eternal Sailormars's feet, the three comrades who dreamed the same visions as him felt the pain as well.

Sanjounin was passing by the same corridor in the mall where Enzo Kakei's shop when he first felt this dark power awaken. Sudden images in his mind of him bowing before his Prince and taking directions from the red-haired queen reappeared as well. But the pain this disruption gave him was nothing compared to the one he was facing now. He could see his ex-girlfriend standing in front of Enzo Kakei's bridal shop. This time, Makoto wasn't looking at the bridal gown in the window display. Her back was leaning against it, and her head bowed low in regret, even if she was the one who said the words to Sanjounin that they just weren't 'meant to be.'

Soujirou lost his concentration in the first championship match with Ami Mizuno, who emerged as the final challenger in the Iron Grandmaster. He could not understand it at first. His concentration was focused solely on the chess pieces and he already knows what should be done twelve moves ahead. (Although, a normal person would know the next advance moves in only five, Soujirou knew the next twelve moves because he was not aware that the powers in his past were slowly reawakening.) He stared directly at the chess pieces because the face of Ami Mizuno distracted him. He could sense her hated gaze at him. Yet, when the disruption started, he also saw an image of him and his three other friends bowing low to the Prince, as well as an image of him handing out maps and plans to red-haired enemy they now all know as Elis.

Ami Mizuno at first thought that he had V-Knight in her hands, seeing the sudden distress he had. But not realizing that he was twelve moves ahead in his mind, she witnessed her first (tragic) loss to him that day on national television. This should've added insult to injury of this V-Knight she hated, but instead, she was completely flabbergasted at that last move he made to "Check Mate." It was a move out of nowhere. She wanted to congratulate V-Knight herself, but he was in a hurry to leave the chess hall instead of basking in the glory of his admirers like he usually did. Unknown to Soujirou, this kind of move made the woman wonder so much about him. He has been trying so hard for the past few months but had not known that he had only sparked her interest in him just now.

Kenta in the meantime, felt a tug in his chest because of the disruption. At first, he thought that it was nothing but a fluke heartburn. He even wondered if it was actually jealousy over the attention that Aino-san's boyfriend is giving her. (Too much attention, Kenta thought, that he needs to follow her everywhere! He didn't know at this point that he was Minako's guardian.) That was until a surge of images happened in his head -- he and his friends bowing low before their Prince, him talking to the red-haired enemy Elis, him presenting the Prince to his Court, and him holding a sword towards … Aino-san?

Minako appeared in front of Kenta wearing a new yellow gown that Take-sama, the director, asked her to wear. He had her hair tied in a low ponytail to the left side of her face, leaving all the hair to flow on her left shoulder. The dress itself seemed too tight and Minako struggled to breathe in it. But Kenta thought that she looked… familiar. Had she appeared in my dream before?

Kenta dismissed the thought and pondered on the images he just saw. But as he continued studying Aino-san in detail to see how much of a semblance she had to the golden-haired woman in his dream, Minako can't help but blush and politely asked him, "_Nani?_"

"Nothing," Kenta answered, still staring straight at her and studying all her features. "Your face…"

Minako stared wide-eyed at him, trying to understand what he was saying.

But Kenta continued to look straight at her with such a blank face. "… It's actually lovely."

"  
_Did you see it, Endymion?"_

_Mamoru was in his hospital gown, standing on top of the roof of the Tomesatsu and seeing Eternal Sailormars run to the fallen Kamui. _

"_I needed allies. I will get them back."_

"_They were not your allies, Elis. Beryl has brainwashed you and them--"_

"_--Brainwashed? We were brainwashed? Weren't you the one who sneaked into the halls of the Silver Millennium to see that Princess? And made us all look like fools?"_

_Mamoru chose to be silent._

"_Look at them, Endymion… look at these stones… " _

_Mamoru gasped when he saw the stones that contained the souls of Jadeite, Nephrite, Kunzite and Zoisite float in Elis's hands._

"_These stones will make them remember everything… with the help of the dark powers."_

"_Beryl and Metallia were already defeated."_

_Elis laughed. "Beryl could not contain the true powers that lay under this very Earth. Only I can do that."_

_Mamoru's eyes widened in fear._

"_Because I am the true heir to this Kingdom."_

_Mamoru saw Eternal Sailormars re-transform back as Rei Hino. She carried his arm over her shoulders and dragged him towards the Shrine Exit. Her expression was frantic._

"_Jadeite, Kunzite, Nephrite and Zoisite are already dead," Mamoru sadly told him. Not even the Silver Crystal can resurrect their dead souls in these stones."_

_Elis grinned, and pointed to the still unconscious Kamui. "That soul isn't dead," Elis snidely told Mamoru, and raised the stones in front of him. "It is only sleeping now… and I will use that one instead."_

"_That person has its own life on this Earth! How can you use his body and replace his mind and soul with another one???"_

"_I didn't say I will use his body, Endymion…" Elis explained. "I said… I will use his soul, instead."_

The machine that caught Mamoru's heartbeat in the hospital almost flatlined. Usagi rushed to his side, frantically calling a nurse to revive him. He had still not awaken from his unconsciousness. But before the nurse could rush in to pump his chest with CPR, the machine suddenly showed a steadier heartbeat.

"I.. will … not allow… you to … steal his soul… Elis…" Mamoru uttered these words and yet still succumbed to unconsciousness, leaving Usagi to wonder on what those words meant.

* * *

Rei was getting irritated at the man in a black suit who stood by the door to Kamui's room. He did not allow her to go in at all costs. He has a forceful hand which she wanted to break and burn immediately. But she was wise enough to let her good sense rule over an innocent man who was simply doing his job. Rei walked patiently to the waiting area without saying a word, and watched the doctors who went by and immediately ignored her even though they knew that she was the one who took Kamui to the hospital.

Rei gave a deep exhale. She was very tired. Now, the new enemy had sent two of them to the hospital. She had heard from Minako some days earlier that Mamoru was still in the hospital, unconscious.

They were the only ones who know what is really going on amidst all the doctor's diagnosis in finding out what's wrong with both Mamoru and Kamui. But they would never believe that someone had come from a very distant past in order to exact revenge. And even that part was still hazy.

Nishida had just arrived now and while on his way to enter Kamui's room, he saw his younger master's beloved slouched on a chair in the waiting area, looking downcast. Although the other bodyguard called with suspicions on her character because she was the only one who came to the hospital with Kamui, Nishida felt in his heart that she had no fault in this. Kamui had asked so many times to watch her and he never saw the proper _miko_ do anything to hurt anyone or anything. So Nishida chose to make a quick detour to the waiting area to where Rei was sitting.

"_Konbanwa…_" Nishida greeted, bowing low to her, prompting Rei to jump to her feet and returned his bow.

"_Konbanwa!_" she greeted back. "It is great to see you here, Nishida. Kamui-san needs you."

Nishida nodded. "How is he?" he asked.

Rei sighed. "I don't know… they wouldn't let me in."

Nishida looked at the guard standing by the door and nodded at him. "Because of what has happened, we have strict orders."

"It's not my fault, Nishida-san," Rei said in her defense.

It was Nishida's turn to sigh. "I know," he said reassuringly, his eyes smiling through his dark shades. "But we can't help but to obey…. the higher authorities."

"Higher authorities? Asano-dono has ordered all these?"

Nishida shook his head. "Asano-dono now doesn't like a lot of bodyguards. He wanted an image to show that politicians walk around safely without us," he explained. "So we were ordered by a much higher authority than that."

And true enough, four men in suits started walking through the corridor, shielding the one who carried a pair of legs in blue stilettos. The man in a suit by the door tensed to stand straight by the mere sound of heels clicking through the noisy corridor steps. Nurses and aides, and even some doctors who passed by cannot help but be awed. Some of them even bowed as though she was the Crown Princess.

But the woman who emerged was way more beautiful than Suzaku-sama, even at her age. Aiko Asano had her classic black hair tied in a chignon and stood out from her company of black suited bodyguards, wearing an aqua princess coat.

Aiko too, had spotted Rei Hino standing by Nishida not far from her son's room, and by some instantly weird reason, she started walking towards Rei, asking all bodyguards to stop following her by just a wave of her hand.

Rei was completely shocked at the thought of Kamui's mother, the wife of her own father's rival walking towards her and Nishida. Nishida quickly gave a low bow to his mistress and Rei kept her composure by offering a similarly polite bow of courtesy.

Aiko acknowledged both of them and returned with a low bow as well. And surprisingly for one who Rei thought was an iron lady, Aiko Asano smiled at her. "_Konbanwa_… " Aiko Asano greeted.

"_K-konbanwa…"_Rei stuttered to greet back.

"I shall go and check on Kamui, Asano-san," Nishida stated and began to walk away from them towards Kamui's room, sensing the immediate need for their privacy.

And even as Rei heard Nishida close the door behind him to enter Kamui's room, she was still speechless for any kind of small talk with Aiko Asano. It was kind of embarrassing… when she can talk nonchalantly to Ono-san and even casually to the MPs and their wives… but just not her. _Maybe,_she thought, _Aiko-san was being deliberate._

But it was Aiko Asano who broke the ice. "_Sou…_ you are truly beautiful…" she told Rei. "… Just like your mother."

_Eh…__what did she say?_ "You know my mother?" Rei can't help but ask.

Aiko nodded and smiled. "For a brief time," she answered. "When there was just one DLP and Hino-dono and Asano-dono were nothing but small names in the Diet."

Rei was surprised at this new knowledge, but she was too shy to ask further… about her mother and the past. It was clear that Aiko wasn't there to reminisce.

"Kamui has taste. I have only seen you in photos and never this close to see why people in the Diet are fascinated with you," Aiko continued. "And why Ono Kagura would want to … keep you close."

"People who are involved in politics don't just take beautiful women to stay at home and be submissive wives," Aiko chuckled. "I know this for a fact… strong women in our circles are rare." She winked.

This just bewildered Rei even more, so while the woman was in happy spirits, she tried to take this opportunity to explain. "Asano-san…" Rei told her. "… _Gomen nasai…_ but… it's not my fault that Kamui-san is--"

"--I know," Aiko interrupted, looking serious and her smile gone this time.

"You know?"

"Nishida has given me a good report about you so far.".

"Nishida told you about me?"

Aiko Asano shook her head. "I don't know if he tells me everything! I can only squeeze whatever I can catch. My son is quite industrious in wanting to know about you." She laughed.

"And besides… come on, Hino-san, why would your father use you to do such a thing to the Asano? Japan is very civilized not to resort to that kind of dirty, violent and useless politics," she said in a matter-of-factly, gently removing the long bangs that blurred her eyes.

"The doctors have already told me that Kamui is already okay. He's still just sleeping. There's just too much fatigue because he's very too involved with his father's campaign."

Rei's eyes lighted in relief. "Kamui-san is okay?" she could almost scream. "_Yokatta…."_

It was Aiko's forceful hand Rei felt on her arm right now, stopping her from instinctively walking to Kamui's room and from what she had been longing to do for the past few hours.

"_Gomen_… Hino-san," Aiko Asano apologized, letting go of her forceful grip on Rei. "But you cannot go in."

"_Wakarimashita…_" Rei acknowledged with respect. "Can I see him tomorrow then, Asano-san?"

Aiko Asano sighed, motioned to her bodyguards so that two of them stayed with the one who was by the door and two of them walked to stand by her. "Nishida was right about you…" she said. "You and Kamui… are both very stubborn."

"_Demo…_Asano-san--"

Aiko now motioned to Rei and the very command on her bodyguards also forced to stop talking. "I know it is not your fault this happened, Hino-san," she spoke gently to Rei. "But somehow, I sense that things are not yet resolved on either you or Kamui's end."

Rei was completely frustrated because she now knew what Aiko Asano would say next.

"Trust me… it is also for your sake that you do not see him for now."

_Trust her?_ How could this be? Asano-san knew it wasn't her fault and yet…

So many things could be the reason and they all debated in Rei's head -- Suzaku-sama… Elis… her own father -- all the many reasons why Aiko Asano would not allow her to see Kamui-san despite the favorable reports. And despite the knowledge that he was in the hospital because it wasn't her fault.

At how everything falls so logically out of place was enough to drive Rei mad! The tension and the battles in her head screamed on top of another sense of low she now feels, because she now has failed to sense the growing power of the new enemy getting closer and closer to enveloping parts of Tokyo.

But despite all this power of a raging fire inside of her, Rei had chosen instead to be meek, watching Aiko Asano enter the room to see Kamui herself. Nishida now came out and closed the door as soon as Aiko Asano was inside, looking sympathetically at her from where she stood.

That was enough.

Rei had seen enough battles to know that in the end, love does win it all. Someone had told her why.

"_Love is a choice, Rei-san. __It's not just a feeling. It's a choice of staying with someone despite everything else…"_

"_Baka…_" Rei smiled as she remembered the words that echoed continuously in her head, and the very words that kept her sane amidst all the madness and rage going through her head.

This time, her choice was very very clear.

Besides, it was very unlikely of Kamui to give up. So why would she?

- tsuzuku -

---------------------------------------------

**chiisai noto:**

Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) Continuous apologies to you guys for the long overdue update. Especially this episode, I had to make sure that all details were ironed out in my head. For one, this is the start of the magical arc of this story, and I'm kind of queasy with anything not cannon. But of course, many things about the Silver Millenium are unknown so I must think about many things. But anyway, the most important part of this one is the confession. Rei had finally come out. I'm kind of excited with that!


	18. 16: Focus

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 16 - Focus**

**Jisho/Dictionary:**

**ANOO...**Ummm….  
**BAKA**. Idiot.  
**DOKUN DOKUN. **Sound of heart beating.  
**GOMEN NASAI. **Sorry. **  
HAI. **Yes  
**KOI. **Carp. (Fish)  
**KONNICHIWA! **Good afternoon! (A greeting)**  
MASAKA. **No way! (Oh no!)  
**MATA NE. **See you again!  
**MINNA**. Everyone.  
**NANI. **What?  
**OJII-SAN. **Grandpa.  
**ONEGAISHIMASU. **Please? (Asking for a favor)  
**SHITTENOU. **Four Earthly kings. – the four "generals" Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoicite, Kunzite.  
**SOU KA… **Is that so?  
**SOU**. Oh. (An expression.)  
**USOTSUKI. **Liar.  
**YAMETE. **Stop!!!

* * *

...

**In the Previous Chapter:**

On Rei and Kamui's much anticipated _last_ date, Kamui was determined more than ever to get a decision from Rei. Rei had prepared a surprise that touched Kamui, but later on, the discussion turned into an argument. And that argument later turned into a confession. Kamui was elated to know that after all this time, and despite all the resistance, Rei actually loved him. He had assured her that, "It was not too late."

But it still seems that odds would come between them. Elis had appeared and threatened both their lives that Rei was forced to turn into Eternal Sailormars. Later on, Elis held Kamui hostage and corrupted the stone that Mamoru had kept of his generals, turning it into a dagger crystal and struck it on Kamui's heart. This triggered a barrage of memories that appeared in Kamui's head and he fell unconscious because his strength could not take it. That soon triggered some unknown memories in Sanjounin, Soujirou and Kenta.

In the hospital, Rei waited patiently to be allowed to see Kamui. His room was guarded well by bodyguards under orders from his mother, who came to the hospital just in time to see Rei waiting. Although she understood that this incident was not Rei's fault nor was this a political ploy from the Hino faction, she still did not allow Rei to see Kamui, stating, "… things are not yet resolved on Rei or Kamui's end."

* * *

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

* * *

...

_The pallid floors of the hospital would blur and eventually became whiter and whiter -- as shiny as the clearest marble. Where the corridors stood, they were replaced with Roman columns. _

This was what kept appearing in Kamui's vision, as a surge of dreams and memories came rushing to him. And they did not come one by one. It was as he was watching five different scenes in his head all at the same time. But only the initial surge was painful. They later on became comfortable. _He had seen them before… _but did not understand how he had experienced them.

And now that he was walking towards the same hospital aisles, Kamui chose instead to see what now completely appeared in his eyes as an ancient castle where one could see the view of the dark stars and the large pale moon from the balcony.

He had to find someone, but Kamui didn't know who it was yet. He just knew that he had a precognition that he had seen Sanjounin and Soujirou and they were now contemplating on what Kenta had said two days before. Soujirou would always follow what Kenta will say, because Kenta is closest to the _Prince. _Kenta would know what to do should all their dominions on Earth fall if they had made the wrong decision. At first, Kenta was the first one who was not the least bit convinced that a greater power than their Prince's Golden Crystal lay beneath the poles of the Earth. But ever since the Prince always went on a rendezvous that he never even bothered to keep secret, the needs of the people on Earth seemed to be put on hold.

And now it seems, Kenta has made a decision… even though at first he was adamant in saying that _Beryl _could not be trusted.

"Ugh…" Kamui reclined on his knees for a moment, pressing his hand against his forehead to stop the pain of another instant memory surge. _The Prince? And … Beryl? What was he talking about?_

As weird as it sounds, he has not known any _Beryl_… yet he certainly is sure that Kenta and the rest haven't spoken of them as an acquaintance. But these all sounded very familiar and Kamui wanted to find that out. Now it was making sense why he, Kenta, Soujirou and Sanjounin all had the same dreams. The only thing they knew was that they had to protect the Prince. The red-haired one he faced during his date with Rei Hino probably has all the answers.

Or maybe this one could… he was walking to this one right now.

His hand touched the crystal door and the latch opened immediately, as if the magic around it knew there was someone who wanted to get in.

And when he came in, Kamui saw his Prince lying asleep on the bed. Now there also, he saw a woman with golden hair, dressed in a long white gown, who was at first buried in her arms next to him, but now became startled upon seeing Kamui enter the room suddenly.

_This is the Prince's… _

Kamui looked at her comely eyes who gently inquired who he was. She was smiling at him. _The Prince cannot deny such beauty… _

… _but that isn't enough to abandon his Kingdom. _

"You have… " Kamui spoke, clenching his fist in restrained anger. "… You have destroyed us… through him!" He pointed at his Prince.

She gasped… her comely eyes now trembling in fear. She rushed to cover the Prince.

"How can you let him forsake our alliance? Under it, those from the Earth and your kingdom are forbidden! Maybe it's not just your fault… but why did he abandon his vision just for love??" Kamui asked angrily.

A flash… another memory again interrupted the one he was currently seeing.

A vision of a dark-haired woman in a long, flowing red gown… her back was turned against him as she was facing a certain pedestal within that same crystal castle. But when she turned, the surroundings suddenly changed back into the Tomesatsu Shrine, where she now sat holding her bento boxes on her lap, and saying,

"_Because I love you…"_

Kamui paused at the flashback of Rei Hino's words that he felt his own anger being flushed away effortlessly at the sight of her who said the very words he has been longing to hear from the moment he saw her.

He looked back at the woman whose eyes trembled at the sound of his voice.

"But then… so have I…" Kamui spoke hopelessly.

The columns and crystal surroundings swirled back in his vision to what it originally was -- the hospital room where Mamoru lay unconscious in the hospital bed. For a brief moment, Kamui saw the woman's gown fade gradually into a mini-skirt and blouse, yet her comely eyes trembled all the same, before he himself fell into a swoon right in front of her.

* * *

...

_Juugatsu. Nijuhachinichi. October 28. _

"Where is my father?" Rei tried to keep her best composure despite the irritation of seeing Ono-san sitting on her father's chair in his own office.

"He has some business to discuss with the DLP," Kaidou-san answered instead, just now entering the same room. He smiled at Rei as he passed in front of her and Ono-san immediately stood up to let him take her own seat -- that is, Ryoichi Hino's original seat.

This show of 'who's in charge of this office' didn't faze her. After all, in all fairness to him, Kaidou-san was very loyal to her father all these six years and he was being groomed to be Hino-dono's successor. She was never compelled to challenge that.

She meant to challenge _that other thing._

"I make many appointments through you, Ono-san, to meet up with my father, but you always book me at a bad time," Rei told Ono-san. "Shoul I still continue to believe you?"

Ono-san raised an eyebrow. "The DLP is a more important business right now than anything else," she told Rei indignantly. "If you had the same vision as your father, you would know that right now especially since he's been campaigning within the DLP for the Prime Minister seat."

Rei shrugged, flipping her hair to one side. "My father has been authoring some reforms. I have finished my research on his greatest ones which I am holding right now. I believe this is what he has been looking for to beat the campaign of Junichiro Asano himself. Besides, if the DLP were more important, why is Kaidou-san not present in that meeting as well?"

Kaidou-san coughed guiltily and paused to think of an answer. "Ono-san had told me you had come to see Ryoichi-san and that it was important," he said. "So I came to listen on his behalf. Rest assured that I will take it up to Ryoichi-san himself."

"I am still Hino-dono's daughter," Rei asserted. "And I prefer that my own father listen to his own family for a change."

"Pretty soon, I will also be his family, Rei-san," Kaidou-san told her. "You can tell me."

Rei sighed. She walked a few steps towards Kaidou-san and leaned on his table. "It will always be an honor for you to be part of our family, Kaidou-san, but…"

Ono-san laughed. "It is always an honor, of course, Rei Hino!" she scoffed. "Don't you realize that Kaidou-san, the best MP in all of Japan, finally proposed to you? We tried to match you with a good alliance with the Honohouchi and countless other families, but none of them prospered at all! This is _your_ best bet to gain a strategic advantage over all the Asano and the rest who are like them!"

"Your matchmaking was not for me to gain a strategic advantage, but for my father and yourself to have it, isn't it, Ono-san?" Rei replied. "Using marriage to cement an alliance is a very old feudal practice that's rarely used now, but you would use anything to gain an advantage in Parliament anyway… since you probably cannot afford to get yourself elected."

Ono-san twitched in irritation in her shoes.

"Kaidou-san…" Rei pleaded.

"Don't put down Ono-san for that simple matter, Rei-san," Kaidou-san interrupted. "She has cared for your father's welfare in the Diet ever since. One must simply use whatever it is in our hands to gain an advantage and ensure the future of this country."

"There are other ways, Kaidou-san. We must try to make an alliance with Junichiro Asano himself! He is still as powerful in the DLP as it is and--"

"--You are only saying that because of your fondness for his son. But Junichiro Asano rose to the DLP due to his own clever alliances himself and not because of what he has done for Parliament. He didn't rise to where he is because he wrote many reform bills. He's not unlike your father!"

Rei paused to let Kaidou-san calm for a minute, and he had been as weak as to let the simple sight of Rei Hino's little pause as meekness – and that meekness, a rare moment of her being the most beautiful in his sight.

And when he had calmed down, Rei said, "You did say we must use whatever it is in our hands to gain an advantage. Junichiro Asano did the same. Now, we must all unite for the good of Japan."

Rei handed Kaidou-san the papers in her hands, the result of her research on her father's impending reform bills. "If you are good enough to be my father's successor, you make sure he does not overlook anything, especially someone like Junichiro Asano."

She then turned to Ono-san and greatly asserted, "My father has agreed to have an appointment with me. Make sure that he keeps it next time. Ryoichi Hino is known for keeping his word. You will not be the cause of destroying his honor."

Rei took one quick glance at Kaidou-san who only gave his marveled look at her, then turned her back at him to go towards the door. "And Kaidou-san as Ryoichi Hino's successor will see to it."

* * *

...

"Ami-san! Ami-saaaan!"

Ami Mizuno recognized that happy voice that was calling at her. It was full of such gaiety and excitement that it could only belong to that one special person.

"Nishimura-san… " Ami turned to him, smiling and equally happy to see him. "Are you alright?"

Soujirou leaned his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath from all that running. "I am okay, Ami-san…" he answered. "So formal… calling me Nishimura-san… "

Ami smiled. "I am just happy to see you."

"Really?"

She thought for a bit, and smiled. She actually was very happy to see Soujirou. He's a breath of fresh air compared to that V-Knight…

"I am???" Soujirou asked with wide-eyed excitement, his mouth still agape, waiting for her answer.

"You're what?"

"A breath of fresh air!!" Soujirou answered happily, his eyes sparkling. "You said I'm a breath of fresh air… compared to that… " he smirked and coughed to regain his composure. "… Compared to that V-Knight. Whoever he is!"

Ami laughed. She had spoken her thoughts out loud. "Yes, you are, actually," she nodded. "Next to him, definitely. He's quite arrogant. Very good in chess and quite clever. But definitely arrogant."

"Clever? Compared to you? I think he's just lucky."

"I don't play against luck. I play against skill."

Soujirou coughed… wrong to patronize. "_Gomen_… well, what I mean is that there were just a few breaks--"

"--He was able to go against my move… as though he had anticipated what I would do 3 moves later…" Ami interrupted, stuck in thought. "That was very, very smart. He must've been one of the best players in Japan and nobody knew him."

She bit her lip. "But he's still very arrogant!" Ami-san clenched her fist.

"How do you know for sure he's arrogant, Ami-san? You said nobody knows him?"

Ami gave him a very blank stare which struck to Soujirou's spine like icicles, forcing him to stand stiff in shame.

"I don't understand why he has to hide behind that mask…" Ami surprisingly continued talking with what still remained in her head. "He doesn't even let anyone take his autograph or let his fans talk to him… although I saw him talking kindly to an elderly couple who claimed were his fans but…"

"He is still arrogant."

"No, he has a soft side, Nishimura-san…"

Soujirou could not believe his ears. His heart fluttered when she had spoken that. "He does?"

"… But that soft side is limited only to the people he chooses!!" Ami raised her voice in (obvious) anger. "How can he talk only to them but completely dismiss me! I can't believe you think he's not arrogant, Nishimura-san!!"

Ami Mizuno was looking at her as if he had betrayed her immensely. And he didn't even say anything! But clearly, she was too transfixed on V-Knight as that was all she could think of and talk about. He took a long time thinking of the best thing to say after this confusing thing she was getting at.

"Yes, and he's ugly too!" Soujirou eyes were glassy, trying his best not to break down in tears in saying that. "Hiding behind that mask and all!"

Ami Mizuno gave her a very blank look. Surprised. _Ugly? V-Knight?_ Now to her, that was actually something to think about. But her mind was decided that V-Knight was still arrogant and Soujirou is right in that.

"You're right, Nishimura-san!" Ami told him resolutely. "I'm going to defeat that arrogant V-Knight!"

She then turned back towards the road and walked as fast as she could. If she could reach home in time, she'll be able to study that famous book left to her by the past presidents of the Tokyo Tech Chess Club.

"_Masaka…" _Soujirou buried his face in his hands. What has he created? The famous V-Knight was famous enough for her, but in her eyes overshadowed his own true identity in hate instead of admiration.

"Ami-saaaan!" Soujirou called out again and ran… he must try to catch another 'interesting' conversation with her again.

* * *

...

_Juugatsu. Sanjunichi. October 30._

"Nishida… even you…?"

"Between the two women in his life, she's known him the most," Nishida answered sullenly, with his arms still outstretched to block Rei Hino from crossing the gate to the Asano residence.

"And she can also take me off this job," Nishida added, looking away from her pleading stares despite the dark shades hiding the regretted expression in his eyes.

"Rei coughed. "Nishida-san…" she called his name earnestly. "Nothing will stop me now from seeing him. Not even you. Has he told you that I love him?"

Nishida coughed. "Well, you can't stop me. I'm stronger than you," he answered back, raising an eyebrow and shakily maintaining his position in blocking her path. "But really? You love him? Why?"

She shook her head. "I have no time for this! Please let me in!"

"I can't!!" Nishida shouted, trying to push her back despite her struggling to get past him. "Maybe you can stop me, but you can't stop Asano-san. The wife of Asano-dono is not a good enemy."

She froze, stunned at the realization of who she is now up against. She can't understand the reasons behind Nanako Asano's reasons. "_Onegai…_ Nishida-san…." Rei pleaded instead, trying to fight back her tears.

Nishida gulped and looked away. He can't take any of this and tried to close the gate on her. "If I were you, I would listen to this advice," he told her, gently pushing the gate and making sure that no arm or finger of hers would be stuck in the struggle.

"Besides… he's not even here all these past days that you've come. His father made him stay at their apartment in Ebisu to make sure he could go straight to the Diet and not anywhere else."

The gate was now shut.

"Not here?" Rei repeated sadly. She then banged on the gate with her fist. "Where in Ebisu, Nishida-san?"

"I can't tell you," was his faded reply. "Just focus on the campaign, Hino-san."

"The final campaign in the DLP," and those were Nishida's last words that day.

_Masaka…_

Rei felt her own heart sink into depression. It has been a week since Kamui had been released from the hospital and there was no word from him. No phone call. And the three times she came to see Kamui, nobody had allowed her to, except this one supposed lucky moment that she chanced up on Nishida. But even he would not tell her where he is.

Rei instead tried to busy herself with her father's campaign. But she couldn't help but think of no one else but!

How cruel of Nishida to ask her to just focus on her father's campaign? Rei can't even focus to sit by the Sacred Fire and find out about Elis, who is a bigger enemy than Nishida or Nanako Asano? How strange of Nishida too to ask her to focus on the Asano's rival campaign, and especially on this final one. _The final campaign in the DLP…._

_Sou ka …._

"The final campaign in the DLP will be next week…" Rei whispered, her eyes brightening upon the realization. "Kamui can't miss it! Asano-dono will be having the final deliberations on the biggest bill ever proposed from the DLP with my father … and Kamui will be…"

She covered the huge grin that formed in her mouth. Her heart was pounding fast in excitement.

"… Kamui will be there!"

Never had she felt this kind of immediate switch in emotions in just a few minutes. Earlier, her heart had sank to its greatest depths on another disappointment that she could not see him, but it was now lifted to the highest of heavens when she now knew that she could. And next week… the final campaign and the final deliberations of all DLP party members -- the one that will later determine who the next prime minister will be.

Rei made plans to get ready, and she could not erase the grin off her face, as she walked back to the Hikawa Shrine. But the heavy auras of Haruka and Michiru could be felt from about fifty paces away, that when Rei was nearing both of them as they stood on the sidewalks leading to the shrine, her countenance immediately changed upon seeing the sad look on their faces.

"There is a new enemy," Haruka immediately told her without any greeting.

"I have seen only a glimpse in my mirror. But this is not good," Michiru explained, clutching the magical mirror on her hands.

"Can I see?" Rei asked, to which Michiru obliged by handing Rei her mirror.

The glass on the mirror reflected a dark gray smoke, until an image of a man appeared. At first, his eyes glowed in green, and the very long strands of his luminescent red hair appeared. And now, this man who Rei now recognized as Elis, held the same sharp dark crystal in his hand. It had a pointy edge and he again intended to use it as a dagger to plunge in the heart of his victim… as he did Kamui.

Elis's victim screamed in pain, making Michiru convulse in anger. Now the mirror turned its angle and revealed its victim. Elis grinned behind his shoulder and whispered, "Of all the kings of Earth, you are the wisest. And now I have a strategist."

His victim screeched in pain and fell on his knees. His long, curls were tied in a ponytail and the red mask on his eyes now fell off his face to reveal the intensity of his pain.

"Soujirou!!" Rei gasped, upon realizing who he was.

"_Nani?_ You know this man?" Haruka asked.

Rei nodded, though she was still in shock. "I have also seen him… the new enemy I was telling you about…"

"And he has only appeared in my mirror just now…" Michiru replied. "How can that be?"

"I don't know, Michiru," Rei answered. "This is not the first time this has happened. About two weeks ago, Elis has also done this --"

"You know his name? How can you not tell us?" Haruka interjected, sounding very disappointed.

Rei paused for a bit. "I was busy with many things…." Her eyes were brooding.

"Even with an enemy like this? Threatening the Earth?" Haruka could not believe what she was hearing.

"She has tried to look through this before, Haruka and she tried to warn us," Michiru interjected, trying to calm her down. "Besides, it has only appeared in my mirror now and that verifies it as a real threat."

_Has only now appeared… in my mirror…_

"_Masaka…_" Rei gasped.

"What is it, Rei?" Michiru asked.

_Join me now, Jadeite…_

Was that it? Was that… what Elis has called Kamui at their date in the Tomesatsu?

"Nothing… I thought I had felt something again," Rei answered uneasily. "But I have to go back and find out what it is."

"Can you tell us what you saw even in that short moment?" Michiru pleaded. "Maybe my mirror would reveal it."

"N-no… I have to go back and find out for myself," Rei told her.

Michiru sighed, disappointed. "_Sou ka…_ will you let us know if you find out anything about this enemy?"

"_H-hai…_ " Rei nodded, looking away from her. "_Gomen_… I have to go, _minna…_"

Haruka watched closely as Rei walked away from both of them, making sure that she was indeed walking towards Hikawa Jinja. She leaned closely, almost resting her chin on Michiru's shoulder.

"It's okay, Michiru. Rei-san may not have the answers and Setsuna is close by watching Usagi and Mamoru," Haruka said sternly. "All we have to do now is to watch out for Elis."

* * *

...

"Who are you really?"

"Eh?" Artemis pointed to himself, clarifying if the star of the Take-directed play was talking to him.

"Yes, you," Kenta answered seriously. "Does it look I'm talking to myself or something?"

"No, no…" Artemis frantically waved his hands. "I mean I just thought--"

"--It's ok. Sometimes people think that I'm rehearsing my lines on my own so they think I'm talking to myself," Kenta explained.

"But sometimes, I'm also rehearsing my lines when somebody is there and talk to them while doing that." Kenta said, scratching his head and trying to smile.

_Anoo… weird… no wonder Minako likes him._

"Who does Minako like?"

"Eh?"

"You just said something … about what Minako likes."

_Baka! I said that out loud! _"Shiitake!" Artemis answered, grinning. "Minako likes shiitake mushrooms."

Kenta's smile faded. "_Sou…_" he muttered.

Artemis wondered why he was disappointed. "I am just Minako's--"

"--Her boyfriend," Kenta answered for him, not noticing the frantic waves done by Artemis to violently object. "I have met you before."

"No… weren't you asking who I am really? I'm not Minako's boyfriend!" Artemis answered defensively. "I just follow her around!"

Kenta gave him a weirder, serious look at that. He nodded. "_Sou…_ she's a great girl," he told Artemis. "You better take care of her."

"_Hai!" _Artemis cheerfully nodded. Then he noticed Kenta's serious look at his affirmation. "No! Noooooo!!!! It's not like that!"

"How did you ask her?" Kenta asked.

Artemis felt really weird at this conversation, especially now that after mistakenly insisting he's Minako's boyfriend, he now moved on to change the subject. "Eh?"

"How did you ask her out on a date?"

Artemis was completely towards another objection, but Kenta looked more serious than ever in asking the question. So curiosity got the cat and he asked, "Why do you ask?"

Kenta looked down to his feet and Artemis could swear that Kenta almost blushed. "I-I… I haven't asked a girl out on a date before," Kenta answered truthfully.

"Serious?"

Kenta nodded. "I just want to know from a guy's perspective like yours… how did you ask Minako out on a date?"

But Artemis's memories of even asking Luna? If it weren't for some good matchmaking, he would've never gotten a yes from her. But then Artemis was always this kind-hearted cat who just wanted to help anyone, even handsome guys like this who inquiring, serious eyes.

"_Anoo…_ I just said, "Can you please date me… Lu...Minako-chan?'"

"That's all?" Kenta asked, in disbelief.

"_Hai!_ It worked, didn't it?"

"Artemiiiiiiiiiisss!!!" Minako's voice roared from behind the corners of the corridor. "I've been looking for you everywhere!"

Artemis jumped to his feet at the shrill call of his master, and Kenta too jumped to his feet at that. He frantically moved away from where Artemis stood, as though he wasn't talking to him.

"We need to go back to Haruka-chan and Michiru-chan! Aaahh!! _Konnichiwa, _Kenta-san!" Minako's voice had changed from irritant to sweet upon realizing that Kenta was there.

"Did Artemis wander off with you?" Minako asked sweetly.

"No, I was just right here talking to--"

"--I don't know. I have only seen him… just now," Kenta answered, interrupting Artemis right on time.

"I see… we have to go and see our friends," Minako said, still not listening to her guardian and happily being distracted by Kenta. "I'll see you tomorrow for the final rehearsal, Kenta-san!"

"_Mata ne, _Maeda-san!!!" Artemis greeted as Minako dragged him away.

Kenta watched closely as Minako dragged Artemis. She cheerfully waved back at him as she left. He was quite sure that the semblance between him and the woman in his memory was … not there. She had a more serious look on her face and a more confident and authoritative bearing. Minako was, as Kenta saw her scream at Artemis to hurry up just now… she was a kind and happy soul.

A kind and happy soul. That's all.

Not the one he should kill.

Kenta grabbed on to his aching chest and stopped the memories from coming to him. _The Prince has all the answers… I will know and decide everything when I see him_.

He now looked at his chest and saw that the light that emanated from where the crystal was struck into him, had now ceased illuminating.

* * *

...

_Juichinichi. Mikka. November 3._

"Do you see those people outside, Kamui?" Nanako Asano pointed to a huge crowd drawing outside the steps of the Diet. She tapped on the window to see if they could hear her.

Kamui looked at the paparazzi hanging outside, standing in front of his mother by the window, staring at the flickering flash bulbs that went as they patiently waited outside. From where he and his mother stood, the soundproof room could not make him hear what was happening outside but seeing as the people bumped and pushed against each other for a glimpse of people coming outside the Parliament building, Kamui could just imagine how they sounded.

They sounded very irritant and angry, each one wanting to get a glimpse of the people coming out front. Some would be cursing at another and others would get furious. Almost warlike. _Like what has happened on the last days before he had gathered all the Far Eastern forces to storm the Mars Gate on the Moon…._

"Are you okay, Kamui?" he heard his mother ask, gently touching his arm.

He rubbed his temples with his fingers, reeling from the sudden flashback. "I am okay," he told his mother. "It's just a minor headache."

"Drink some water before you go," she ordered in motherly fashion, smiling sweetly at him. "Today is a most exciting day. You get to stand by your father and his ruling faction in the last debate in Parliament."

Kamui nodded, trying to dismiss the images that appeared in his head of him standing with a troop of regal soldiers ready to storm the gates of a _fantasy_ kingdom. _He could envision the opposition that he faced as well… one such figure loomed at a distance… the one who wore that beautiful red gown behind that pedestal, and standing there waiting for him as her dark hair flowed in the wind -- the soldier of the Silver Millenium._

"You must stand tall behind your father and listen carefully, Kamui," his mother gracefully interrupted his thoughts. "And you mustn't lose focus."

That last statement was the perfect spell that ended his trance, as the images before Kamui's eyes solidified once again into the present time where he would be joining his father and his faction at the last debate in Parliament -- the deciding one against the faction of Ryoichi Hino, which would be a last draw to all MPs in voting for who would be the president of the ruling DLP party, and therefore, the next prime minister of Japan.

"_Hai,_" Kamui answered firmly. "I will not lose focus."

And he didn't. As soon as Parliament began, the two famous rivals in all of DLP Party history met at the Parliament floor, each one standing at opposite seats. This is the most famous bill in Japan after about three hundred years -- the bill that Hanaoka-dono previously authored -- on the right of having a woman succeed the Chrysanthemum Throne of Japan. And for once, the two opposing opinions towards this bill are within the same party. This is completely strange since usually party members, despite their factions, usually meet internally for such controversial and culturally important bills as this.

However, Kamui knew that his father, despite brokering a marriage between him and a princess of Japan, would not allow this bill be passed as a matter of principle. Kamui remembered how he told Rei Hino this, before venturing on the bet that she would later win and let her take him out on a date, that although his father toured the world and has known their liberal customs, Junichiro Asano is still a conservative and would not let this bill to pass. His father is not completely against it per se, Junichiro Asano just thinks that a bill like this is still not the proper time for a country that has a huge population of people born during World War II which makes that still a conservative majority.

But Ryoichi Hino, who sat on the other side of the huge Parliament floor, thought otherwise. Ryoichi Hino pushed for constant reforms. All his bills were about development and change, making sure that Japan would adapt to the world like it always did without delay, even and especially in cases like this. That was one thing Kamui respected greatly for Ryoichi Hino. Always about development… always bold… whatever the cost… _so unlike his daughter who was never the daredevil that he was. _

_How is Rei-san?_ She would've enjoyed this historic moment. She told him that her father would support this bill and then… and then… he would be able to really marry Suzaku-sama, as an empress. That issue between her and Rei hasn't been resolved yet, wasn't it? _Wasn't it?_ He had too many memories of Elis and the Prince, yet in between that he was thinking…

_Was the last thing Rei told him was that she loved him? _

"I will not lose focus," Kamui murmured to himself dismissing all the chaos of thoughts and memories in his head, making Nishida look at him suspiciously.

"I have another case in point here," Ryoichi Hino spoke on the microphone and turned back to wave.

It was a signal. Rei Hino had come from whatever shadows she was lurking in, like most women in Parliament, to walk towards her father and take gasps from the crowd. She bowed and handed a folder to her father.

It was a statement, albeit to the Western world, an insignificant one. But Ryoichi Hino broke a debate with the presence of a woman handing him an important file within Parliament, regarding an issue that involved the possibility of having a woman become Empress of Japan.

It worked. Junichiro Asano has suddenly lost focus. He motioned to his deputy to bring his files to him. And again, he motioned to his deputy, but his deputy too had been awestruck for awhile before he came to his father's aide and handed him his file folders.

That deputy was Kamui Asano. And he took a moment to look back at Rei Hino as she walked away from her father, back to where she sat.

Kamui needed a moment to look at her because just moments before he had doubted her to be such a daredevil when she just walked towards her own father carrying the files to his famous proposition on this bill. And he needed another moment to just look. He _needed_ that look.

He had lost his focus.

So whatever happened after that, Kamui could only piece together what he could best remember. It was all recorded and filed anyway, so he could always revisit that Parliamentary debate. That debate which could almost lose the Prime Minister office for his father had entirely become a blur to him. So the whole afternoon ended with him dragging his feet away from the press people who kept asking his father and his faction as to their chances of having this bill passed or put away. Kamui, of course, did not know the answer to that.

"Where are you going?" Nishida asked.

Kamui didn't answer, but simply walked unfazed by his valet's constant questioning.

"Kamui!"

"Kamui!"

"Kamui-san!"

He froze for a moment, just one moment, at the sound of _her _voice when she called his name. But no… this time, he just has to keep on walking. The images of past memories of Elis kept coming back to his idle head… _and the face of that woman in the red gown… who stood behind the gates of the Mars Gate… _

"Kamui-san!"

For a moment, her voice broke the images in his head giving him a small migraine, but he still kept on walking. There was some pitter-patter of steps that joined hers. Sounds of cameras flashing and were nearing. He couldn't let them see him and her together at a controversial time like this.

"K-kamui-saaaan!!!"

Her footsteps stopped, and he could hear her sob… even as he took a few more steps away, if he knew Rei-san, this was her giving up. And that was the part he couldn't take.

Kamui turned around and briskly walked towards her. Rei was in between tears and gasped in surprise at Kamui forcefully grabbing her arm in haste, in order for Kamui to wrap his arms around her. And only when he felt her heartbeat settle to a steady pace and hear her breathe without a sob, did Kamui loosen his tight embrace on Rei Hino.

"They would not let me see you, Kamui-san," she whispered, sighing in relief at finally having him near. "They said that you and Suzaku-sama… and that it's not yet the time…."

"Rei-san… " he whispered, comfortably still not letting go of his embrace. The sound of the paparazzi's footsteps and their clicking flashbulbs drew close but he would still not let go. Rei Hino was hugging him back and tightly holding on to him. But it was at this luckiest time that the images again began to appear...

_The soldier… with her dark hair flowing in the wind… stood at the Mars gate and let her hands release… fire…._

A flash of light destroyed those images in Kamui's eyes. The photographers were already there in that same corridor, avidly taking photos of him and the daughter of the Hino faction in his arms – just perfect for tabloid headlines in the morning.

So he gently pushed her back from him, with the most restraint he could ever muster in his entire life that he could not even look her in the eye when doing so.

"_Gomen nasai… Hino-san…_" Kamui whispered to her, with his head bowed. Then, he walked briskly away from her, and pushed his way against the row of photographers standing in his way, before she could reach out to catch him.

* * *

...

_Juichinichi. Itsuka. November 5. _

"Mars-sama… please eat… _onegaishimasu…_" Phobos bowed low on her knees. "_Ojii-san_ is very worried."

But her Princess, who had been kneeling before the Sacred Fire, didn't give her an answer. Phobos has not heard a sob ever since she returned from her father's debate at Parliament. Deimos said that the tears had probably ran out, and so they feared the worst if it did. How could someone like Rei Hino, who silently labors all these feelings, then vent out?

"Mars-sama…" Deimos knelt, sighing heavily. "We have seen grave things in the Sacred Fire about Elis. But only you could see it further. We need your strength."

Rei was immediately roused to alertness at the mention of the magical enemy's name. "_G-gomen…._" she spoke with such remorse. "I-I… I'm sorry for being so selfish, _minna…._ I haven't even taken the time to know how you came to your physical forms."

Rei then hastily straightened up and threw more ash to increase the fire's flames. She folded her fingers to begin the chant, but Phobos held on to those fingers before Rei could even say, "Rin."

"I think we already know, Princess," Phobos told Rei. "Now that we know he is Elis and that he's bringing back the _shittenou_… we now know--"

"--_Shittenou_?" Rei gasped in surprise. "But we have already defeated them and they are dead--"

"--Not quite, Mars-sama," Deimos answered. "Endymion-sama still kept the stones that contain their souls but he didn't have the power to resurrect them completely."

"It seems that someone has the power to resurrect them all too well, Mars-sama," Phobos continued. "Its power is too great that it seems to be resurrecting everything in the past… including us."

"That explains why Luna and Artemis are also in their human forms… but why would anyone want everything in the Silver Millenium resurrected?" Rei asked, completely puzzled.

Phobos and Deimos looked at each other, and sighed. "We don't know, Princess," Deimos answered with a grim expression on her face. "We do not know Elis. In the Silver Millenium, we have stayed in Mars while you went to the Moon. You have only mentioned his name then once or twice."

"He is from Earth, Princess," Phobos told Rei. "But we don't know anything else about him aside from the fact that the Sacred Fire revealed him opening up some powerful force in a place surrounded by ice. It's a great power, Princess… we have felt it and seen how it can destroy. If it's powerful enough to resurrect all of the four _shittenou_, we don't know what will happen!"

Rei frantically stood to her feet, with her heart pounding. "I have to tell Usagi--"

Phobos clung to the sleeve of Rei's kimono. "We already told Venus-sama. I'm pretty sure that Serenity-sama now knows," Phobos told her, then sadly looked down on her feet. "But unfortunately, Endymion-sama has still not awakened so our key to our enemy is still asleep."

"_Masaka…_" Rei whispered her hopelessness and looked blankly at the Sacred Fire, too distraught to concentrate.

At this, Phobos and Deimos looked at each other again. Both stood up and walked so that Phobos stood by Rei's left and Deimos at her right. With both hands of their hands, they held Rei's left and right hands gently to talk about something beyond the magical enemy they are facing now.

"Whatever is happening between you and Kamui-san, you must have faith in him…" Phobos gently reassured. "It is just a hectic time for him because of his father's campaign for Prime Minister."

"You must always give him the benefit of the doubt, Princess…" Deimos continued. "You must remember that whatever happens, he has loved you from the start."

"Phobos… Deimos…" Rei uttered, touched by their reassurances.

"We have seen this happen before, Princess… You are very strong, but sometimes…" Deimos paused to find the right words. "… sometimes, you become too preoccupied. But then, we can't fault you with that. When someone is inlove, they--"

"--Inlove? _Nani…?_" Rei became too bewildered, not following what Deimos was saying.

"What Deimos is saying, Princess…" Phobos continued what her wide-eyed, innocent sister was rambling about. "That this time, you must not let these feelings of being inlove distract you."

"This time, _you must not lose focus_," Phobos told her.

But Rei was still lost at what they were saying. "I can't understand, _minna…_ What do you mean by 'this time?' How did I lose focus before?"

It was Phobos and Deimos's turn to be bewildered. "You don't remember, Mars-sama?" Deimos asked.

Rei shook her head.

"You and Jadeite-sama," was Phobos's gentle answer, yet it struck Rei point blank, as though the world has turned black and white with those simple words. "Your love for Jadeite-sama in the Silver Millenium… has changed you … in the last battle."

_Jadeite… Jadeite-sama??_

"Rei-san… are you… alright?" Kaidou-san's worried tone shattered the chaotic silence in the room. His shadow appeared by the door and he stood there and waited for an answer, as shock continued to settle with only the sound of crackling embers of the Sacred Fire was heard.

"I'm alright," Rei simply answered. Phobos and Deimos let go of her hands as their Princess tried to regain … her focus.

"You… you look pale," Kaidou-san observed, worriedly looking at her. "What has happened?" He asked Phobos and Deimos, and tried to caress her cheek with his hand.

"Nothing has happened," Rei answered coldly, dodging Kaidou-san's hand and walked towards the exit.

Phobos and Deimos now knew that the shock had worn off. Or probably that their Princess followed their advice, preferring to gain back her focus on the events of this present time before moving on with the past. The present one with Kaidou-san and Kamui-san was unfortunately, not their specialty. It was not as grave as Elis. So they let her walk outside of the room with Kaidou-san running after her.

As she walked out, Rei was surprised to see Nishida standing outside the Meditation Room's corridor. "_Konnichiwa_," Nishida greeted sternly without any expression, or none that Rei could see as he still chose to wear his dark shades on this late afternoon.

"What's going on, Kaidou-san?" Rei asked, sensing a wary situation approaching.

Kaidou-san put his hand at the back of her arm and said, "You have to come with me, Rei-san."

"For what?"

Kaidou-san instead pulled her to walk out leading to the steps of Hikawa Jinja.

"What is this, Kaidou-san?" Rei calmly demanded, struggling to stay in place.

Kaidou-san continued to pull her beside him to walk as briskly as he did. "It is time to make it official, Rei-san."

"Make what official?"

Kaidou-san coughed, and avoiding her gaze, told her blankly. "Our engagement."

Rei got furious and wrung herself free from his grasp. "No!" she told him. "I do not wish to marry you, Kaidou-san!"

"Marriage is not only for you, Rei-san… It is also for the good of the Hino family," Kaidou-san reassured her.

"My father has done well without me being married," Rei angrily replied.

Kaidou-san sighed. "You have told me before that if I wanted to be your father's successor, all I have to do is marry you," he said, his eyes pleading. "I have now earned the right to become your father's successor without doing that. And yet, the first thing I want to do … is still to marry you."

Kaidou-san gently touched Rei's shoulders and centered his gaze on her. "It is different now, Rei-san. This will be good for the Hino. I only want to take care of your father's legacy… and you."

Rei threw back an incensed gaze at him. "You of all people know what these kinds of marriages lead to, Kaidou-san. I will not be thrust into a mistake."

Kaidou-san could not dismiss his disappointment… and anger at her statement, that when Rei tried to pull herself away from from him, he immediately grabbed her arm and forcefully dragged her towards the Shrine steps despite her constant struggle and pleas.

Kaidou-san's unmoved expression made Rei think of him as nothing less than an enemy at this point, that instead of using her knowledge of self-defense, she was actually searching for her compact to transform into Sailormars and burn him! She of course knew that this was irrational but her seething anger made her only think of that at that moment!

Then, a figure rose from the steps. A figure that made Nishida gasp in surprise. He was not in such a big hurry and was walking up the steps with slow, calculated steps, with his mind lost in a mass of memories yet to be deciphered and the remaining of it thinking how he has made it to Hikawa Jinja.

Yet, when Kamui appeared on the final step of Hikawa Jinja, Kaidou-san did not realize how fortunate he was from being saved by the fires of Sailormars.

Happiness came upon by Rei at the sight of Kamui, but the two men in front of her obviously had only room for one emotion at that time -- extreme dislike for each other that was as big as the rift between the two DLP factions they represented.

"Leave her alone, Kaidou," Kamui commanded simply. Those were the only words he intended to speak to Kaidou.

Kaidou of course, would do the opposite of that command. He tightened his grip on Rei's arm and simply answered, "No way."

Before Kamui could do anything else, Nishida, who had positioned himself strategically behind Kaidou-san, was already in front of him… to his surprise.

"I can't let you do that, Kamui," Nishida told him, as Kaidou-san managed to take Rei with him a few paces away from them now.

"What has gotten into you, Nishida?" Kamui asked in disbelief.

Nishida bowed his head to avoid Kamui's gaze. "My loyalty is to the Asano," he answered. "I follow Asano-san's orders."

"My mother never interferes with my personal choices," Kamui told him, now more surprised than ever.

Nishida nodded. "Please know that she hesitated to give this order… but she said that you must not lose focus."

Nishida then positioned his body into a battle stance, with his fists in front of him. "I know where this will lead to, Kamui," he said, with much hesitation. "But let's just get this over with."

Kamui was shocked to have seen this 180 degree turn on his once loyal valet. But he had no choice. As soon as Nishida threw his punch, Kamui had seen the opening in his outstretched arm that he immediately twisted his own arm around it and threw a quick punch in between Nishida's ribs and threw Nishida's other fist away from his face. His knee dented Nishida's groin and his foot landed on squarely on Nishida's foot to throw him off balance, enough for Kamui to use that fall to twist Nishida's outstretched arm even further to pull the muscle in pain as Nishida fell on the ground.

Another bigger surprise was that Nishida laughed as soon his face touched the dirt, as though he neglected the pains Kamui had inflicted. "I told you… I knew where this would lead to," Nishida told Kamui, groaning now as Kamui still inflicted pain on his arm. "Go to her now."

_Go to her?_ Kamui was so confused. But whatever prompted his own valet to go against him, Kamui had no time to analyze. He instead ran towards Kaidou-san, who had not gone far away since he had easily downed Nishida within minutes.

The next few minutes, Kaidou-san's glasses were thrown off and landed on the dirt. Half of its frame was dented and there was only a small crack on one of the lenses. Following its fall was its owner, who saw nothing right after because he was already unconscious. If Kaidou-san only knew how fortunate he was, given that Kamui had actually exercised restraint in his punch on his handsome face. If Rei had transformed to Sailormars, there would not be a lot of restraint in burning half of him.

Kamui had saved Kaidou-san from Rei's anger, because it was now all gone and she was now willingly running down the steps of Hikawa Jinja, happily being dragged by someone she liked.

It was a few minutes later when Nishida was finally able to rise to his feet and able to withstand the pain on his arm, his groin and his foot. He chuckled a bit to see that Kaidou-san still remained unconscious. Nishida heard a familiar sound of a motorcycle and ran at the edge leading to the Shrine's steps to see Rei behind Kamui as he drove away on a motorcycle.

At this, Nishida chuckled again and exclaimed, "Damn… he used _my_ motorcycle!"

* * *

...

_The minutes soon faded and faded right after…._

Kamui was very much deep in thought, with his eyes staring straight at the _koi_ swimming in the pond of the Tomesatsu shrine. Rei was actually quite anxious to ask him why he had snubbed her after that huge debate in Parliament, but saw that there was something that occupied Kamui's mind, so she allowed him to wonder away in silence. It was already enough for her to be sitting beside him… and being rescued by him again.

She noticed a scratch on his left fist, probably caused by punching Kaidou-san and hitting the frame of Kaidou-san's glasses. At that moment, there was only room for sympathy for Kamui, despite Kaidou-san's bigger injury. Rei took Kamui's left hand and gently caressed the scratch on his fist.

Kamui finally looked and smiled at her, and pulled back Rei's own hand and kissed it… for a long time.

"There were a lot of things on my mind this morning, Rei-san…" Kamui finally explained, preempting Rei's question. "The media would ask about us… then about me and Suzaku-sama. It's not yet the time."

Rei nodded and tightened the grip on his hand.

"And many other things… I-I… " Kamui paused, and buried his head in his knees to hide his expression of helplessness.

"Go on, Kamui-san…"

"They're too strange to understand," Kamui chuckled.

"Strange?" Rei smiled. "There never was a normal day when I'm with you. I would understand it."

"That's true," he said, smiling.

"Kamui-san…" Rei took a more serious tone in calling his name this time that Kamui gazed at her intently to listen. "Other women, like Yuuka and Suzaku-sama, did everything they could because they want to be your wife. But that's not what I want. I didn't do everything because I wished to become your wife."

Kamui's eyes widened in surprise at this revelation, that he could feel his heart start crushing.

Rei continued. "I only wish to be by your side," she told him, inhaling and exhaling deeply to calm the anxious beating in her heart. "Please trust me."

It was at that point that Kamui experienced how the minutes could trickle down effortlessly as though everything moved in slow motion. The autumn wind blew the dark purple strands across Rei Hino's dark eyes revealing a light of purple across her gaze, and those same strands lightly brushed the outlines of her flawless and blushing cheeks. He could look at Rei's eyes forever, because they stared back at him so beautifully sincere.

"There are memories that I suddenly have… " Kamui began his confession. "I'm in a faraway land where I'm serving a prince. And there's an image of a woman… but I can't see her face yet…."

"Memories…" Rei repeated Kamui's word, wondering.

"There's something I must do… but I don't know what it is completely. I just know that I must save the Prince and … the world. And that woman… she seems to be barring the way."

Kamui rubbed his temples to ease the pain of recalling the surge of memories. He wanted nothing else but to tell Rei everything, but he was at a loss in doing so. The memories kept appearing like different scenes happening all at the same time. Even if he can absorb some of them, he doesn't even know what those mean and how they're all connected even if they seemed too familiar. It was as if something was missing … a final key that would unlock what these memories mean.

Rei realized Kamui's difficulty and the words of her guardians remained in her head -- _Give him the benefit of the doubt._ Only love can trump anxiety. Perfect love drives out all fear.

She dragged herself closer to Kamui and whispered, "This may be hard to believe as well, Kamui-san… but I know what it feels like to have the burden of saving the world."

Kamui smiled back at her and inched closer so that he could nearly feel her breath. "But to be honest, I'm not too interested in saving the world… Rei-san…" he said.

Mist fell in Kamui's eyes, turning them glassy. "I'm just interested in saving you," he whispered.

Seconds… and more seconds. It was the most comfortable silence because inside each of them was a giant mass of elation of having what they felt for each other returned.

But if only the fates would cooperate. There was something else in the air.

Or in the ground, it seems. A force alerted Rei's psyche and she felt the sand particles from under her feet move. There were tiny swirls moving from underneath and they were all going towards one spoke in the center of the sand garden.

This was a huge force and there was a bigger fear than that of the power of the enemy that Rei felt. She could see Kamui has been finally alerted by the danger from underneath their feet and in her heart was the greatest sense of regret. She really wanted to cry. _Masaka… why didn't I kiss him?_

The ground rocked and the particles of sand in the middle of the garden turned red, and it formed a vertical mass that constantly grew upward, forming a figure of a human being. When it finally formed, Elis dusted the sand off his arms and transfixed a piercing gaze on Rei.

"You don't need her, Elis!" Kamui shouted, sliding in front of Rei with his arms outstretched to protect her. "You only need me."

Elis looked angrily at him. "What is this? Why are you trying to protect her?"

Kamui groaned a bit as he filtered the memories that now came to his head. "All we need to do is protect the Prince. With Beryl's power, we can--"

The world froze at that moment for Rei. _Beryl?_

"--Don't you know who she is? Did you know what she has done to you?"

Kamui looked back at Rei, as she stood up and prepared to take her battle stance.

"She's the most important thing to me," was all he said, looking back at Elis, which only made him more furious.

Elis took a step and turned to Rei. "All this time, I realized how evil the Silver Crystal was. It only resurrected you and the rest of your _senshi_…" Elis said angrily. "But neither of you ever tried to bring me or even _him_ back to life!"

The hair on Elis's head turned brighter red and its strands again grew longer and grasped Kamui's neck, choking him with it. "What kind of love is that?" Elis shouted.

"_Yamete!"_ Rei commanded, not bearing the cries of pain from Kamui. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Elis chuckled. "You don't even remember? He had made you his life! In the same way that our Prince made your Princess his… and neglecting the welfare of our kingdom! Even I… his one true heir!"

The strands that choked Kamui torturously lifted him up as his feet dangled in the air. He gasped for air and motioned for Rei to run. "If you can't remember… I'll make him remember," Elis taunted, with other strands in his hair caressing Kamui's cheek.

"Show him!" Elis commanded. "Show him who you are, Princess of Mars!"

A tear fell on Rei's cheek as her mind searched for other ways that her identity must not be compromised in front of Kamui. Yet she snuck her hand inside her _kimono_ to reach for her compact… just in case.

"Show him!"

She can't bear it. How can she just stay and watch him like that?

"Show him!!" Elis shouted in a booming voice. The strands of his hair now choked Kamui further, weakening him close to unconsciousness, as the other strands were turned into hard and pointed weapons ready to pierce Kamui. "Show him!! Or I will!"

_Yamete…._

"Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!"

It was only then that Elis released his grip on Kamui, who fell on the sand coughing and wheezing to regain his breath. His vision had blurred for awhile, unable to see the red lights that surrounded Rei as she shouted those words out loud.

But it had all cleared up and Kamui turned to see someone standing before him and Elis. She was dressed in multi-tiered short skirts and red high heels. The same determined look and intimidating beauty that _his_ Rei had. And her dark hair flowed in the wind…

… _like that figure across the Mars Gate… blocking his way…._

"You have finally shown who you are… Sailormars," Elis grinned. "It has been a long time."

"Whoever you are, I'll burn you to a crisp if you ever touch him again!" Sailormars uttered angrily, clenching her fist to get ready to release her Fire Soul at him.

"What? Like this?" Elis taunted and groped the deadly strands in his hair around Kamui's arms and legs.

Elis looked at Sailormars, grinning victoriously. "Beryl was right. The all powerful Silver Crystal isn't all what it's said to be… since it still didn't return all your memories."

Elis chuckled. "If it was all that powerful, then you would still remember me. And how your Princess had no regard for the kingdom of Earth enough to lure our Prince away from our powerful destiny! Lured him enough to destroy the alliance between the Earth and the Moon!"

Elis quickly shoved Kamui in front of him, still with his arms and legs tied with the strands of his hair. "An alliance of autonomy between Earth and the Moon that prohibited anything between us both!"

"Do you remember that, Jadeite? Even you forsook this agreement … all for her!" Elis shouted, and pointed at Sailormars. "You did it all for her and she has done nothing for you!!"

_Jadeite…_ Sailormars repeated in her thoughts. _No… no… it can't be…_

Elis calmed his tone for a bit, and caressed Kamui's cheek once again with the other strands of his hair. "She has done nothing for you… even up to this present kingdom."

"_Yamete, usotsuki!!_" Sailormars shouted in a shrill voice filled with desperation. "You are telling him all these lies! Jadeite is gone… and if you touch Kamui-san again… I would--"

"--You would what?"

"Rei-san!"

Rei halted for a second at hearing Kamui calling her name, Rei-san, instead of who she was right now – Sailormars.

"Rei-san…" Kamui told her. "You must go… leave me."

Rei adamantly shook her head. "Let him go, Elis!" she demanded angrily. "Let him go right now!"

But Elis was already contented with what he saw in her, delighted in fact to be successful at his ploy. A large strand of his hair was turned into a hard pointed weapon, ready to pierce through Kamui's stomach. But that was all the horrid preview that he wished to give Sailormars, as the strands of his hair grew in between them like a wall that was just spun out of hair and blocking the strike that Elis was about to deliver…

So Sailormars instinctively released her bow and Flame Sniper, and immediately gathered a mass of flames in her hand and summoned instead, "Mars Snake Fire!" as the quick decision she could make to save Elis's hostage.

Horizontal pillars of fire appeared, waving like a snake from her hand and massively determined to break down the strong walls of Elis's hair, but as soon as the flames neared, Elis immediately loosened the barrier and the walls had become too thin for the fire to go through that once occupied space seamlessly.

Straight towards Kamui.

It was a trap. Sailormars realized it too late and cried helplessly as the flames she summoned seemed to intensify more on its way to burn Kamui right before her eyes. And one such command that she can't call back.

But then…

_This fire… it is… _

_At the Mars Gate, he could not see her from this distance. Even when he had successfully stormed it down. He still could not see her clearly from this distance even when she's just a few feet away. But why was he even anxious to see her? _

Now the fire neared. It was going towards Kamui where he would now die from the fire sent by his beloved, and all he had now…

… _was this vision of the same fire that neared him. A horizontal mass of flames and in its center, from afar… it now lighted the face of the one who summoned it. _

_Dokun-dokun_. Only the sound of his heartbeat mattered. Not the sound of her remorseful voice.

_That same figure who blocked his way. Her dark hair flowed in the wind. And the caster of the same spell of fire which was on his way to kill him. His enemy._

Sailormars.

The flame never reached Kamui… this time. A huge surge of force that looked as though it had a dark tint surrounded him, turning everything around him murky, as though a huge ball of dark power engulfed him enough to absorb the flames as it hit. As soon as the fires were dispelled, light emanated from within this shield, looking like an implosion.

The light broke through from within that dark shield and immediately, someone had come out from Kamui's place. He was dressed in a gray military uniform and had a red jewel on his left arm that held his long white cape. And Sailormars saw that he had the same handsome expression and that same confident grin as _her_ Kamui.

"Welcome back, Jadeite!" Elis proclaimed happily, as if to add more salt to Sailormars's wounds. "It seems you have now fully recovered."

Jadeite huffed. "It's been a long time," he simply said, really looking like he was greeting a familiar face.

"What have you done?" Sailormars asked, looking incredibly forsaken. "What have you done to him?"

"Can't you see? I've returned him to who he really is," Elis answered, grinning.

Sailormars was not pleased. "I told you… " she said, forming her bow of flames. "… That if you did anything to him…."

But Elis remained unaffected by this threat. He grinned instead and waited.

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

Quickly, the arrow was flawlessly aimed at Elis's heart and it would have maimed him right there on the spot with that perfect shot … if Jadeite had not teleported in front of Elis and summoned the same dark shields that earlier protected him.

Sailormars could only gasp in disbelief.

But no ally of Elis was obviously forgiving enough for that brief moment of surprise. Jadeite waved his hand towards Sailormars and released a force blast that knocked her back against the walls of the Tomesatsu Shrine.

Sailormars groaned in pain, as she tried to move back on her feet. "Kamui-san…" she pleaded to him, miserable and disappointed.

_He's still in there… in those angry eyes… those same eyes of Kamui's._

But he looked back at her and saw nothing and stood there, unrelenting. Unmoved. When he raised his arm and got ready to wave his hand to release another blast, she hastened to move from where she still believed till the very end that he would not do it.

Kamui would never dare. But Kamui was no more.

Jadeite waved his hand and aimed perfectly at his still target. A dark energy emerged from his hand and was steadily going towards the Princess of Mars.

Nearer.

And nearer.

"Venus Love Me Chain!"

The golden chain was able to whip Jadeite's hand and caused him to withdraw his second wave, but Sailorvenus's chain was able to miss Elis.

Sailormars found herself whisked a few feet away from Jadeite's dark force blast and saw the damage it had caused in the wall of the Tomesatsu from underneath Sailoruranus's arms.

"Are you alright, Sailormars?" Sailorneptune who stood above her, asked.

"Aha… I didn't know there were other _senshi_. It seems that the entire Silver Millenium army is here!" Elis proclaimed, grinning and unmoved. "All the better. We will destroy all of you once and for all."

"We?" Sailoruranus laughed as she stood from where she rescued Sailormars. "The way I see it, there are only two of you. And four of us!"

Elis laughed heartily. "The two of us should be enough," he said. "But that's not all."

"What do you mean? Who are you?" Sailorvenus demanded, looking behind to see a familiar enemy behind him now resurrected.

"Nephrite!"

Sailormars and Sailorvenus gasped at the name. And even more so when Nephrite appeared beside Elis, the same form that he has been.

"Yes, you called me?" Nephrite answered, giving a low bow.

"Let us return to our kingdom," Elis grinned, making sure that every ear in that place has heard. "We will be back for the Silver Millenium … later."

Before Sailoruranus could throw an attack, a dark energy surrounded Elis and the former Earthen kings behind him, and disappeared. Sailorvenus gasped and searched for any traces of magic or power where they had disappeared. Sailorneptune frantically grabbed her mirror to see if she could find any traces of where they had gone.

Sailoruranus had given up for the night. "How can we have missed this?" she asked, disappointed.

_I don't know…_

Sailormars still remained sitting in the place where Sailoruranus carried her away to miss the attack intended for her by the one she loved the most… if he was still that one. She looked at the huge damage on the wall of the Tomesatsu where a quarter of it had cracked. It was powerful… this thing he had.

It could kill her. _He could kill her. _

Even though she knew that face that he now wore -- the face of one she defeated long ago – yet Sailormars sat there not wondering how that all happened. She was still in the very moment of helplessness and was seeking a more important answer as to why.

- tsuzuku -

* * *

...

**chiisai noto:**

Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) This is the part where it's no longer canon but I took as much from the manga as I could. Anyway, I was asked if from hereon it would be dark… well, yes. Events will happen fast.


	19. 17: Loyalties

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 17 - Loyalties**

**Jisho/Dictionary:  
ANOO…**Umm…  
**ARIGATOU...**Thank you  
**DAIJOUBU...**Are you alright/ I'm alright  
**DOKUN… DOKUN…** Heart beating (Japanese sounds)  
**KAGE stone…** A stone of shadow  
**KAMI-SAMA…** God  
**HAI…** Yes  
**HENSHIN...**Transform/Transformation  
**HI stone…** A stone of light  
**MASAKA...**It can't be  
**MIKO...**Shrine priestess  
**MINNA-SAN...**Everyone  
**NANI...**What?  
**OMI-AI**… Matchmaker  
**ONEGAISHIMASU…** Please...  
**SENSHI…** Soldier  
**SHITTENOU:**Four heavenly kings. Refers to the "generals" Jadeite, Kunzite, Nephrite and Zoicite.  
**WAKATTA!...**Ok! or I understand!  
**YAMETE!**… Stop!

**In the Previous Chapter:**

Phobos and Deimos have told their Princess that there is a great power that is now able to resurrect the _shittenou_, while telling her to trust Kamui. This has happened in the past -- yet Rei doesn't remember a similar past.

Sailorneptune can't understand why she can't see the enemy and everything else related to him in her mirror.

And when Kaidou-san literally forces Rei into an engagement with him, she relents and gets rescued by Kamui. At the Tomesatsu, new confessions are made and it is now clear what they feel for each other, until Elis comes and takes Kamui as a hostage. Rei has no choice but to turn into Sailormars and when she summons her _Fire Soul_ to rescue him, Elis sets a trap for it to burn Kamui instead.

But Kamui got out of the fire unscathed… as Jadeite, and as Jadeite, throws a force blast at Sailormars.

All the _shittenou_have been awakened by Elis. And every discovery is only now… a matter of time.

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

* * *

Usagi had the assurance that Haruka had assigned Setsuna outside the door for her and Mamoru's safety. Armed with her crystal, Setsuna can transform as Sailorpluto and barge in for any sign of the returning minions of Elis. But despite this assurance, Usagi can't help but sense an eerie presence in that room so she looked around for signs. 

Thankfully, there was nothing.

Usagi then buried her face in her arms to sleep.

"Is he… awake?"

Usagi grabbed defensively onto Mamoru's arms, gasping as she anxiously looked around for that auspicious voice.

The first couple of footsteps were heard and then, a figure emerged from thin air, gradually forming into the shape of a man with long straight hair that looked almost blonde in the light. He was wearing a simple white polo shirt and trousers. His hands were tucked in his pockets.

"Who are you?" Usagi asked worriedly, grabbing onto her compact to transform, just in case.

"I am the Prince's ward, the Earthen king of his Western realm," answered the modern magical stranger. "And all I'm concerned about is him."

"_Shittenou_…?" Usagi said, almost whimpering.

The stranger nodded. "I just learned… " he said, looking a bit uneasy. "… That he has called me… Kunzite."

Usagi gasped again. "It's not possible… "

"It is… Princess… Serenity, isn't it? I don't exactly remember a lot of the events which led me to be reborn as this on this present kingdom, but --"

"--Reborn?" Usagi realized, staring at him angrily. "Then that must mean that Elis has sent you!"

"Please be calm. I will not fight you … or my Prince," Kunzite told her. "Well… at least not yet. I want to know the truth before I decide."

"Setsuna!! " Usagi called for help.

"Wait… if you want to help the Prince, then you must listen at least," Kunzite told her. "We are his protectors so the key to his resurrection probably lies with us, but our memories have not fully returned. What I know is that we have all kept most of our memories in something that is called a _Hi_ stone."

"_Nani?_"

"I don't know what it is as well, but if you look for mine, it could unlock all my other memories--"

"Why should I help you??"

Kunzite looked at her sadly. "I can't assure you about what will happen when you do find and return it to me… but I do know that it contains valuable information that could bring back the Prince."

"My_ Hi _stone can be found in the middle of the Atlantic--"

The door slammed open at that point, showing a very grim and worried Setsuna barging inside with her crystal in her hand. "Usagi-chan… what happened?" Setsuna asked, alarmed.

Setsuna had no idea, of course, because the wily stranger was not in front of her and Usagi. The very same spot where Kunzite stood was empty and cold.

* * *

"AHi stone? What is that?" Haruka asked, scratching her head, looking very impatient. 

"A stone … of light," Ami repeated, trying to analyze from what she heard Usagi tell them.

Luna, who sat behind Usagi in very ladylike manner now that she's in human form, answered, "Whatever it is, we have to find that out. It could be the answer to how Beryl was able to influence the _shittenou_ into fighting us… which then spelled the end of the Silver Millenium."

"Why should we? This could just be a trap!" Haruka angrily insinuated.

"Somehow, I tend to believe him," Usagi answered weakly.

"How can you believe an enemy who has risen to fight you for the third time?" Haruka answered back, in disbelief over the naivete of her own sovereign.

"It's not just that," Minako said. " Phobos and Deimos said that Elis has the power to resurrect almost anyone in the past, which is why Phobos, Deimos, Luna and Artemis are now in their Silver Millennium forms instead of the guardian forms they were reborn in."

"And Elis has the power to resurrect the _shittenou_ again?" Haruka asked in disbelief. "How can he do that?"

"Mamo-chan can stiill communicate with them through the stones he kept," Usagi replied. "And now that those stones are gone…"

"… Elis has them…" Ami filled in the blanks, now understanding where everything fit it. (She was usually not present most of these meetings and her situation with her own _shittenou_ were episodes full of disguises.)

"And if Elis has these stones, why should we get another stone … a _Hi_ stone?" Michiru argued.

"It probably does not exist," Haruka concluded. "Because all they're doing is setting us into a trap."

"It's not a trap. A _Hi_ stone… is real," Makoto answered sullenly.

"How do you know?" asked Haruka, still in her indignant tone.

Makoto chuckled for a bit, remembering vividly her recent episode with a certain _shittenou_. "Nephrite… told me," she said. "His Hi stone is hidden in the very Northern tip of what he calls the present kingdom of Canada."

"Present kingdom of Canada?" Michiru chuckled, despite Haruka's annoyance. "Doesn't that language sound too--"

"--Too ancient?" Makoto glared at Michiru seriously. "I told you. Nephrite was the one who told me. He is probably not too familiar with how informal we speak in this present time."

"H-how did Nephrite tell you?" Ami asked in disbelief. "We have defeated him."

Makoto bowed low and shook her head, averting her glassy gaze from them. "It just confirms Phobos and Deimos's story that a greater power can now resurrect everyone in the past… even those we defeated," she said, smiling unknowingly. "Which is why Nephrite came and told me himself."

"How did you survive Nephrite's attack?" Usagi gasped.

Makoto shook her head again. "He didn't attack… I wondered about that. But I guess my mind was also somewhere else that day… Sanjounin had come earlier and I said my final goodbye to him."

"Hmmph…"

"Haruka-chan!" Minako exclaimed in protest. "A breakup is never easy!"

"Nor is this enemy," Haruka said indignantly, her arms crossed as she walked closely to Usagi. "The _senshi_ around you are too weak. The Silver Millennium fell because of this weak attachment that they had to these _shittenou_."

"Haruka!" It was Michiru's turn to protest the inappropriateness of her partner's statement.

"I didn't say it, Michiru. Sailorjupiter did!" Haruka continued. "Even yesterday, Sailormars could not dodge an attack given by the same enemy she has fought twice before."

"This will not do…" Haruka's voice sounded too serious as though a dark cloud hung above her as she clenched her fist in rage. "I have sent Setsuna and Hotaru to guard Mamoru to make sure none of the _shittenou _even come within an inch around him. It will now be our duty to guard our Princess." She looked seriously at Usagi, unfazed by her worried state.

"That's not fair! How can you be sure that the information that Mako-chan received was not important?" Minako once again protested, this time, sounding more authoritative. "And do you even know what happened to Rei-chan before she was attacked by Jadeite?"

"There are more important things to discuss here such as our duty to protect the Princess, Minako-chan."

Minako scowled and huffed at the apathy against her statement. "Even in the past, all five of us have fought with our Princess to the end while you stayed in your planets and did nothing!"

"Minako-chan…" Michiru said. "You know we did that because we had no choice! Queen Serenity ordered us--"

"--Ordered you to guard the planets from outside threats, but even when you saw the threat in the moon itself, you did nothing!" Minako exclaimed angrily. "And yet, the destruction of the Silver Millennium was not brought forth by anyone of us, but from also uttering the forbidden command of Queen Serenity by one of you!"

Minako's face grew red with anger, sending grave tension to anyone around her. "Sailorsaturn uttered her forbidden command and none of you there came to stop her!"

"_YAMETEEE!!!_" Usagi shouted, tears rolling down her eyes. "Please stop,_ minna-san_…_onegaishimasu_…"

Luna offered her arms and hugged Usagi. "This is what the enemy precisely wants -- to divide us," she scolded. "Do you think that this is right?"

Haruka sighed, empathized by the sight of Usagi crying. "We will do what is right this time," she said, trying to sound unaffected, yet with deep resentment in her voice. "We will do everything to protect Princess Serenity… with or without the rest of the _senshi._"

"Haruka!" called Michiru, running towards Haruka, who had already walked hastily from the rest of the party. She took one sad look at the rest of them and nodded, smiling weakly, to acknowledge a goodbye to the rest of them.

"Let them leave… Minako-chan…" Rei pleaded, softly… and rather weakly, standing closest to Luna all this time, leaning against the wall and silently watching all of them.

"Rei-chan, I think I now must assert as a leader--"

"--You believe in both me and Makoto, don't you?" Rei asked, smiling weakly at Minako.

"O-of course I do…" Minako answered.

"Then maybe this time, it is their turn to guard the Mamoru and the Princess," Rei told her gently. "Because this time, it seems… this fight solely belongs to us."

* * *

_This fight solely belongs to us..._

Phobos and Deimos could not yet fully grasp what their Princess said -- that she herself sanctioned such a division among all the _senshi_? Yet, their Princess seemed still not to be herself, except for spending the majority of her time in the Sacred Fire after that heated discussion with Haruka and Minako.

Rei also refused any kind of sustenance since the last night she fought with Jadeite. Jadeite… or Kamui. It is hard to believe that however much she tried to protect herself, she was deceived again.

The wood block now sits in her hand, the one that said _'miko.'_That was a memento from her first meeting with Kamui the very first day he visited Hikawa Jinja. Rei had secretly stolen his wish from the Shrine back then because she was curious about what he had wished for. She now knew that that was the first decision that made_ Kami-sama_ move to grant Kamui his wish.

But maybe _Kami-sama_ made an error… or Rei did. Maybe she shouldn't have taken it. Or else, she wouldn't have been in this same sticky situation where the same Kamui is also Jadeite who attacked her in a phantom school bus six years ago.

"Can it be possible, Phobos… Deimos?" Rei asked, wiping the small dew of tears in her eyes. "That I didn't know my enemy too well? That our enemy can be both vengeful and loving at the same time?"

Phobos shrugged, and quickly tried to stop her sister from running towards their Princess. But Deimos had already knelt beside Rei and with a very empathic smile, Deimos told her, "Or maybe we don't know our friend too well?"

"Deimos! You're not supposed to confuse her!" Phobos scolded, seating herself on the other side of Rei. "We were not there but Mars-sama has seen Jadeite with her own eyes!"

"She has seen Jadeite, but does she remember everything about him, Phobos?"

"What do you mean.. Deimos?" Rei asked in bewilderment.

Phobos mentioned her sister not to say anything, but Deimos could not be stopped. "In the past, Mars-sama…" Deimos told her Princess. "In the past, before the last battle in the Silver Millennium, you used to say a lot about Jadeite… that he can be kind and gentle. And your words matched your eyes when you spoke to us, that Phobos and I thought… well… "

Rei squinted her eyes, waiting impatiently for an answer.

"… You spoke as though you loved him."

"Mars-sama… Deimos is guessing. It is my guess too!" Phobos explained. "Something did happen between you and Jadeite in the Silver Millennium, but we both can't be sure. We weren't always there by your side."

"But can you remember now, Mars-sama?" Deimos asked eagerly. "Can you remember most of what happened in the past now and tell us?"

A sad silence. Rei shook her head, "No…."

* * *

The same can be said of Ami Mizuno, who kept pondering what was it in the Silver Millennium that happened that she forgot. She needs those memories now that they were up against the same enemies for the third time. In the past, she's had some dreams of the Silver Millennium, and maybe some of Zoicite, but she dismissed them all then because it didn't matter. How was she to know that it would matter right now? 

The Final battle.

Right now, she was up against V Knight. That same mysterious rival that she once despised…

"I wonder… Mizuno-san…"

Ami froze in her tracks. The booming voice of Soujirou surprised her, as she was lost in thought. "Soujirou…" she smiled, now that she realized who it was behind her.

"I wonder… if you would've have noticed me, if I were someone else."

"Someone like who, Soujirou-san?" Ami asked, still smiling, thinking that Soujirou might be playing a game as he still stood behind her.

"Someone popular… admired… beloved and successful… If I were someone like V Knight?"

Ami chuckled… and chuckled for a while, leaving a huge frown on Soujirou behind her. "I would've noticed you first even if you were behind V Knight… Soujirou," Ami answered, smiling. "Because … you are my friend."

Then this time, Ami looked behind her and saw… Souirou, smiling. He was beaming and quite handsome wearing the same clothes of V Knight. Yet, a tear fell from his left eye. And in Soujirou's right hand, he held the red mask … of V Knight.

And then, Ami could not help but gasp at this realization. "Soujirou-san?"

"In a way, I'm a bit different than V Knight," Soujirou answered, grinning. "I would've let you win."

Ami shook her head. "But I won't allow that," she smiled back. "Or it wouldn't have been this good between us."

Soujirou laughed. "I know."

He then went to Ami and handed her his mask. "There will be no battle between us today," he said. "If you want to make things good between us, then you will find my Hi stone in the Alaskan kingdom."

"_Nani..._Soujirou-san_…"_

Right before her eyes, Soujirou vanished within a strong pillar of mist. Ami even felt the gentle spray on her face and found no one in front of her, except the mask he left on her hand.

And only then did she put the pieces together … that by battle, Soujirou didn't mean the chess tournament. What he meant was, the battle between her … and Zoicite.

BEEP!

Ami's mobile phone sounded a message just in time when she was searching for answers. It was from Usagi and she has sent an urgent text message, "Mamo-chan is awake!"

* * *

Ami arrived the latest as she was detained by television producers to stay for the final Iron Grandmaster Tournament, until they realized that V Knight was a no-show himself. A hoopla of questions soon arose in the studio over his non-appearance. Ami just then realized what a really big celebrity Soujirou… rather, V Knight, was when the Iron Grandmaster cancellation news eclipsed that of the closed door elections within the DLP to decide if Ryoichi Hino or Junichiro Asano would be the next prime minister following the impending results of the Succession Bill. 

Mamoru's suite was filled with most of the _senshi_. Setsuna, Hotaru and Michiru were forced to wait outside as the hospital wouldn't allow them to crowd the sick patient. Usagi was insistent that everyone should be there and everyone was indeed there, except for Minako who was detained by some errands by her mother while Setsuna and Hotaru stayed to rest for awhile after their vigil outside Mamoru's door.

The aftermath of the previous day's heated discussion still gave an awkward feeling in the air, but Mamoru's current condition prevailed among all of them. Mamoru was already sitting straight on his bed but his face still looked weak. His lips were still a bit pale.

"Have you anything to say to them, Mamo-chan?" Usagi asked sweetly, squeezing his feeble hand.

Mamoru weakly shook his head. "Not yet," he muttered. "I am still waiting for _him_."

Haruka surprised everyone by immediately getting in front of the bed and waved her fists into battle stance. "Is Elis coming?" she asked anxiously.

Just then, Haruka felt a soft surge of power from behind her, sending tinges down her spine. She looked cautiously at Mamoru, preparing to throw herself at him in case this power would send him an attack. But Mamoru's countenance was very calm. He even smiled… at that power behind him.

Minako gasped upon seeing that familiar face, and all the more so when Usagi angrily called his name, "Kunzite!"

"_Matte…_Usa-ko…" Mamoru pleaded, waving his hand authoritatively asking her to calm down.

"What are you doing here?" Haruka demanded.

Kunzite now wore his gray uniform and cape as the high general and calmly stood there and paying no attention to Haruka, knelt on one knee and said, "I pay my respects, Your Highness."

"_Nani???_" Almost everyone cried in disbelief.

"I only came here to talk to my Prince," Kunzite told them as he rose. "He has asked me to come."

"Mamoru doesn't side with you, our enemy," Haruka denounced. "If you even try to go an inch of him--"

"--There are seven of you and only one of me," Kunzite interrupted to say. "Why will I allow myself to be placed in a disadvantageous situation if I wanted to harm him?"

"How were you able to talk to him, Mamo-chan?" Usagi asked worriedly.

"The Prince still commands his own Crystal, even though its power is slowly deteriorating because of Elis and our own… our own _Kage_ stones deteriorating," Kunzite explained.

"_Kage_ stone?" Ami repeated, confused.

"It is a very long story," Kunzite/Kenta replied. "Once Elis gains full control of them all and awakens Metallia's power, he can rule the Earth and the Golden Crystal."

"Metallia has been defeated by us almost six years ago," Ami calmly told him.

"That was only a part of Metallia…" Kunzite told her, sounding disappointed. "The rest of her power still rests in the Artic Circle where you last fought Beryl."

"Why are you helping us?" Rei asked a very valid question.

Kunzite looked away avoiding all their gazes, yet still having that indifferent countenance. "I told you, I have only come for my Prince," he answered hesitantly. "And I have also come to search for the truth."

Mamoru coughed… and coughed harsher as a dark light glowed in Kunzite/Kenta's chest, sending the latter to his knees as he groaned in pain, trying to suppress whatever is purging his strength. As soon as Haruka saw the connection between him and Mamoru, she quickly dashed towards Kunzite ready to deliver a heavy punch and only Usagi's screeching voice calling, "_Yameteee!"_ put that one inch distance between her fist and Kunzite eyes.

"Haruka-san…" Usagi called, panting. "We must trust Mamo-chan…."

Mamoru's coughs were silenced and the dark light in Kunzite's chest has disappeared, and he now tried to stand upright to face his Prince while holding onto the aftershocks of pain left on his chest.

"Elis still does not have full control of you… Kunzite…" Mamoru struggled to say, smiling in relief.

Kunzite shook his head. "I am trying my best, Your Highness…" he smiled back. "My most vivid memories so far were of you forsaking Earth for the Moon Princess… and that we had no choice but to join Beryl and Elis against both of you."

"But I was sure…" Kunzite continued, glancing a moment towards Minako. "… that there is a bigger reason for that."

"If you can get my Hi stone in time, Your Highness," Kunzite almost sounded like he was pleading. "I am sure the memories I have placed there will help me remember everything else… including the events before the War with the Moon."

Mamoru nodded. "We will help you find it, Kunzite… my most trusted friend," he told him. "Be on guard. Elis will not be happy to find out that you are delaying his plans by suppressing the Dark Power from taking over you."

Kunzite nodded and knelt to acknowledge his liege's promise. Everyone watched closely as the dark power enveloped Kunzite to teleport him out of Mamoru's room.

Haruka remained suspended in disbelief that even Mamoru and Usagi -- Endymion and Serenity themselves -- let an enemy go right in front of them while still using the very dark power that once threatened them.

And all was not the same with the rest of the _senshi_ there: Ami reeled over the fact that Soujirou, V Knight and Zoicite -- all in one -- will join this same enemy in a battle against her. Now that she has seen the Dark Power materialize again in front of her, this just became more and more real.

Makoto continued to wonder if maybe, this dark power of Metallia, was the one that caused the breakup from her Sanjounin. It does sound a far cry from that but she can't help but consider this possibility.

And only Rei wondered something positive from it all. In her mind, she believed she even received an epiphany.

* * *

That Monday morning, Rei was up early at five a.m with that epiphany. By five-thirty, she was dressed in her matching corporate suit and was kneeling by the Sacred Fire to find out more. Phobos and Deimos knelt with her and waited patiently for two hours but they had not seen anything. 

By seven-thirty, Kaidou-san had arrived to darken the entrance of the Meditation Room. Phobos and Deimos begged their Princess to eat some breakfast before leaving with Kaidou-san but she would not relent to their requests. It was impolite to have Kaidou-san waiting because he had come pick her up for this important day. Phobos and Deimos could not do anything but worriedly watch their Princess get in the car with Kaidou-san soon after slinking of frustration before the Sacred Fire.

Rei didn't sense any weakness in her body. The awkwardness of seating next to Kaidou-san inside the car overwhelmed whatever feeling she had in that moment. She was able to see the trace of Kamui-san's shiner on his right eye -- a small gash from having the metal from his glasses hurt his face from Kamui's punch.

She did in fact, feel a little guilty, especially when the one who did that to Kaidou-san revealed to hate her now. That was quite ironic.

"_D-daijoubu…_Kaidou-san?" Rei stuttered, looking away from him.

"_Hai…_" Kaidou-san answered, rather formally. "It didn't bruise… much."

"T-that's good…" she stuttered again, at a loss with reassuring words.

"I probably deserved it, didn't I?" Kaidou-san forced a laugh and coughed soon after, realizing that the joke was ill-received. Of course, definitely not such a good thing to say but something that he wished could draw a reaction from her.

Rei actually did receive that pun guiltily. Kaidou-san was still a loyal Hino follower to the very end. Today was an example. Today is the press campaign for both contenders for the Prime Minister position within the DLP. Kaidou-san picked her up so that she could stand by her father throughout the entire campaign.

And Kaidou-san will also be standing behind her father throughout the entire campaign despite criticism from all other DLP members who thought him to be the key player in having Ryoichi Hino return to the DLP. Kamui was first to attribute this shrewd political maneuvering of Kaidou-san's to blind loyalty but Rei can at least give Kaidou-san that much credit. Even to his own detriment, Kaidou-san risked everything for Ryoichi Hino, even his own reputation in the DLP and SCP. Ryoichi Hino needed someone as loyal as that.

So even for that reason, Rei felt guilty that after the long awkward silence, she finally spoke to Kaidou-san. "_Arigatou…_Kaidou-san…" she said softly. "… for all the things that you have done for my father and for me. You were there even for the trivial things that my father himself cannot attend to… which you don't have to do but you have done so selflessly."

Rei took a quick glance at him and with her head humbly bowed, she said, "I do not deserve to be in the same place with you."

This surprised Kaidou-san completely. All he wanted was an apology but it seems that this kind of reaction explained it all -- despite seeing his injury, Rei's sympathy still fell more on his aggressor. All that she could give him was relief for guilt.

Kaidou-san exhaled and smiled. She can't even look at him and he didn't want her to feel any more guilty and make her see that he has hit the lowest moment in his life. The reason he confessed everything to Rei Hino was to make sure he did everything right this time, not to make her feel worse. Kaidou-san had cared _that_ much.

"That's not true, Rei-san… It's not true that you don't deserve to be in the same place as me," Kaidou-san forced a smile. "The truth is that if it were completely up to me, you have no place to be but by my side."

Rei could still not muster the strength to look at him so Kaidou-san continued, "But it's not all up to me, so… I'll simply do my best."

By this time, the car stopped as it had already reached the Diet building. Kaidou-san took this quick chance and put his hand on Rei's hand.

"Please be assured that I'll do everything in the best interest of Hino-dono and yourself," Kaidou-san told her before stepping out of the car.

Blind loyalty. Until the very end.

Maybe Rei has learned a lot about Kaidou-san. Maybe he infused in her that kind of attitude that made her think of Kamui even up until the very moments of the press campaign where she was already standing behind her father and beside Kaidou-san. Right across were the Asano and Rei immediately noticed that Kamui was missing from the row of supporters behind Junichiro Asano.

How could Kamui be gone at this most critical time?

The press were asking a lot of questions and both Asano and Hino factions answered them impressively. They also released a lot of information where the latest polls have shown that Ryoichi Hino received a great amount of increase in support so that Junichiro Asano only led the polls now by 10 where Asano had previously and consistently commanded the polls by 25. They also said that Junichiro Asano was strong with both old and young voters despite Ryoichi Hino having a more liberal stance. Ryoichi Hino however could still take in the lead if Parliament passed the Succession Bill, allowing female heirs to become Empresses, and the result of that would come next week.

The details were surely of great interest to Kamui but the press conference had ended and there was still no sign of him. Rei found herself too disconcerted to engage her hand with a small cocktail and mingle superficially with the press so she excused herself and tried to find some fresh air outside, slipping the notices of Ono-san and Kaidou-san.

On the way back to the room where the press gathered was where she found_ him --_Kamui-san stood in another corridor talking to, upon Rei's greatest surprise, Shigure Honohouchi.

This kind of picture seemed very wrong knowing how much Kamui despised Shigure until Rei realized that none of the SCP stood behind her father during the press conference.

"_Masaka…_" she gasped.

That was enough for Kamui and Shigure to stop talking and automatically, Shigure nodded to Kamui and walked away, as if he was really discovered.

"You have taken away my father's allies," Rei stepped forward and told him, expressing the hurt in his betrayal.

Kamui shook his head. "_Ex_-allies," he corrected her. "Hino-dono dissolved the Komeito Coalition with the SCP when he rejoined the DLP. His other allies in Parliament also feel disgruntled with him changing his mind all the time."

Rei couldn't believe what she heard. This is the first criticism she has heard from Kamui about her father. "He can still pass the Succession Bill," she argued. "He can still have a higher rating in the polls."

Kamui chuckled. "It's amazing to see how much you've learned from reading and listening to the news, Hino-san, but that still won't make you a good politician."

"And changing your morals does?" Rei answered confidently. "By aligning yourself with a person you despise?"

"_Hai,_" Kamui answered simply. "It is all about ideologies and not personalities. Honohouchi will still be full of bullsh!"

Rei could not stand all this provocation. Never had Kamui been this tactless. Shrewd, yes. But never vulgar or tactless.

She looked and wondered about him for days and this was all she got? Perhaps the epiphany she received was all wrong. That was still Kamui standing in front of her, isn't it? That was still him, the one who said it was not too late. That is not just one empty shell.

Rei took two steps and clenching her fist to suppress her anger, she commanded him, "Return Kamui-san back."

He looked blankly at her and stood still. "I cannot return what has never left," he told her.

She could not understand what he meant by that. "Return him now, Jadeite… return him now or you will burn," Rei threatened, readying to reach for her compact to transform.

But he calmly stepped forward until there was but a feet away from them, too close that he could savor the breath of anger coming from her. "Don't you realize something, Princess of Mars?" he asked coldly. "If you and Sailormars are one… then so can I."

Rei shook her head in disbelief, sadly staring at the familiar face of Kamui who now exhibited an expressionless countenance towards her. "_Masaka…_ Kamui-san doesn't have the corrupt ideals like you!"

He smiled. "I guess I always had it in me, Rei-san. How else would I have known how to negotiate with the SCP if I were just Jadeite?" he asked mockingly. "But it is only now that it has been awakened."

If what he said was true, then her epiphany was at least half-right. Kamui-san is not lost. He's still there, at least, maybe a part of him in that shell that also contained her sworn enemy.

And that smirk on his face was as far as she could take in provocation. If Kamui-san is still there, there is no guarantee that he can be saved. Rei could not bear to fight him again but she has seen him attack her before. How can she risk it again, for herself and for Princess Serenity?

"No matter how much I try to avoid it, I am deceived again," Rei murmured bitterly and rose her compact to utter the words that would trigger her change to Sailormars.

Kamui quickly advanced and struggled to take the compact out of Rei's hands before she could finish her _henshin_ phrase. The struggle was swift because as soon as their hands clenched and were linked, a surge of the purest energy went inside both of them and created images that they had now again only seen after thousands of years.

_She found herself walking down the long flight of crystal stairs and she could remember… those were Serenity, Mercury, Jupiter and Venus before her. And those long gowns… she was wearing the robes of the Princess of Mars. _

_There were a lot of people at that time when she walked down with Princess Serenity and the others. But all those seemed to melt away and she noticed a face among the crowd, looking at her. She looked away. _

_If the image of the crowds melted away in her eyes, then everything else must've been blurred by a haze because he had not noticed anyone else but the raven-haired princess walking down the stairs in a flowing red gown. _

_So beautiful… from the moment he saw her…._

_He saw himself standing behind her as she stood above the stairs, looking at the blazing furnace on the pedestal. Has he been doing this everyday? Was he always faithfully devoting time to just idly watch her tend to an inanimate thing? It was not that he minded doing this at all, but this was one part of her that he could not understand. _

_On her end, she felt uneasy that someone was watching her and waiting for her. Yet, she felt she had this longing of being on the cooler side of where he stood instead of on this side where she had to tend the Sacred Fire that symbolized her kingdom. _

_And then he was not standing behind her anymore but in front of him. A bigger fire divided them. The gates behind him were torn down. No one else could've done it. How is it that he could now be standing there and willing to walk in the middle of the fires she summoned? This territory was not his. If he walked past those fires, she could only feel that she does not have any choice but to go past her heart breaking and summon a bigger fire to destroy any trespasser who would dare walk past. _

_Please… she murmured… do not walk past it… _

_But he only knew that there was this terrible feeling of hate. She… or they… did something to his kingdom. His kingdom will never be the same again. Their prince… what was it… did they lead him to betray them? What was it? Whatever it was, there was this strong urge to continue to summon the dark energy in his hands to do his duty. The voice told him that destroying her would be difficult but it is a necessity. _

_Destroy her? How could he? It was necessary, wasn't it? Because she will destroy him first. But there was no way of knowing unless he walked past those fires…._

….

That surge ended with a force that repelled both Rei and Kamui from each other. That was the effect of the last memory.

Both were gasping for air and trying their best to stand on their feet with their weak knees. This was a different kind of surge. It was as if they both experienced every single moment as if they were there in the midst of what they saw.

"What was that?" Kamui asked, still gasping for air. "I didn't have those memories before… what have you done to me?"

"Me?" Rei asked, equally puzzled, catching her breath and clutching onto her compact to transform in the soonest time.

Her heart was completely beset with anger. She would fire at him if she could. She felt so tired from that memory because it was a direct experience that made her realize how real that betrayal was when he was Jadeite and she was the Princess of Mars in the Silver Millennium.

While Rei thought that this new memory revealed Jadeite to be her enemy, Jadeite in the meantime realized that she was not is. What she was to him, it's still unclear. _Could it be possible that she actually could have been so much more… that she actually belonged to him?_

_Could it? _

_Dokun… dokun…_

His heart was beating. Beating fast. It was as if he saw her for the first time. How could one describe that--Seeing her first time … but again? But there she stood before him helpless and weary, the_miko_ he first saw at Hikawa Jinja, the same _senshi_ Elis said betrayed him and his Prince… the same Princess of Mars he saw walking down the steps of the Moon Palace…

_So beautiful… from the moment he saw her…._

"Lies…"

Elis's voice rang in Jadeite's head and boomed in his heart like a huge hammer pounding his chest. "Don't forget why Endymion left the Kingdom of Earth in the first place," Elis's voice said. "Don't let the Moon and their allies control you… for no one shall control you again… but me!"

That last sentence caused so much noise in Kamui's ears and dropped a huge pain in his chest.

Seeing him groan in pain caused unwarranted sympathy within Rei that triggered a debate in her mind whether to continue to burn her sworn enemy. Rei stalled and stared at her compact for an answer, as if it would speak to her and persuade her to attack.

Rei stood to her feet, panting from exhaustion. But as soon as she looked up to finally face him, Kamui was gone.

* * *

This time, picking on that one string of Sanjounin's _koto_ did not bring him back. All it did was register one sweet _clang_and not even one melancholy melody. 

Of all the things he left in that apartment… tsk tsk…

Makoto went out of her apartment for a stroll in order to clear her mind. After Haruka's objection to her being distracted by a breakup instead of focusing on her duty, she wanted to make sure that that was her prime objective starting now. Haruka has a good heart, after all. She's just worried about Usagi.

The compact that contained her crystal soon sounded. It was Minako and she was asking where Makoto was, as she was still detained by her mother's chores and the hectic play schedule, so Rei and Ami are now coming over to meet her.

"_Wakatta!"_ Makoto acknowledged. They must all go to see how Mamoru is doing now for any other updates.

So far so good, even Minako was unconsciously helping her focus on her duty now. Yet, the idea of Sanjounin lingered still. No _senshi_ would probably admit that they were all distracted by other people somehow. If Makoto only knew this, she'd be less disappointed about being the only one open about it.

Besides, the fate of Sanjounin was and has always been linked to her. Today, it would not leave her because Nephrite has just now hovered from above to a mere five steps away from her.

Before Makoto was even allowed to be daunted by his sight, Nephrite was able to deliver her a huge amount of dark energy sending her back against the fence with a loud thud. It was not such a huge blow that she as a strong human can't withstand, but it was only a mere two days ago that Nephrite himself showed up and did nothing but speak to her about his Hi stone.

Nephrite again tried to shower her with another ball of dark energy and Makoto's long legs dashed away to dodge it, then Makoto realized that there was no time to wonder about this. All enemies were always confusing! She readied her crystal to transform.

"Jupiter Crys--"

Another ball of energy was released by Nephrite before Makoto can completely call on her crystal to transform her. Again, she successfully managed to dodge it but the enemy was too fast. As Sailorjupiter, her power and strength would've doubled but as Makoto, as agile and strong as her raw strength was, she cannot handle a superhuman.

Exhausted from all that dodging and running, Makoto leaned against a street light pole to await Nephrite's attack. She knew her body probably couldn't afford to dodge this last one but she readied her legs for it to do that anyway.

Nephrite could hear her exhausted breaths so he was more patient this time in summoning a bigger surge of energy to throw at his nemesis. He could hear panic in between her sudden inhaling and exhaling. Immediately, Nephrite used this opportunity to dash towards her and pin her to the wall by choking her neck with his hand. Seeing her look dejected at him, he could also hear the slightest sigh. And he could hear her whisper a plea… a name…

_Sanjounin?_

That loosened his grasp because that moment helped to make him wonder.

"Sanjou… remember…."

A tear rolled down Sanjou-kun's right eye, misting his vision, but in them he could see clearer. He could see her. What was that thing he remembered? That he _loved_ her. He doesn't remember if he still does. But one thing's for sure, he still remembered her.

"Mako…"

Makoto gently held the hand that still gripped her neck. "I'm trying to help you remember just like you asked," Makoto told him. "Have all your other memories returned? Do you know if we are really enemies in the past?"

Sanjounin shook his head. It was Makoto's turn to have tears rolling down her cheeks seeing that Sanjounin's expression remained stoic and dark except for the one tear that glistened on his cheek.

"Please hold on, Sanjou. Don't let it overcome you," Makoto pleaded. "Don't let it take you away from me."

Nephrite's grip tightened to choke her and then he immediately loosened it when she heard her choke and whine in pain. Those were still helpful triggers that Makoto knew are signs that Sanjounin has not yet been completely overcome by the power of Elis.

Sanjounin actually struggled hard in releasing his grip from her neck. The memories of her betrayal to him in the Silver Millennium and the memories of his Prince abandoning their Kingdom for the Moon plagued him so hard that it felt as if the veins in his wrists would break just by loosening his grip on her neck. And when he finally did, he rested on his knees and groaned as the pain now transferred to his chest.

"I cannot hold on too long, Makoto…" Nephrite confessed. "While I can still fight it, promise me that you will try to make me remember all my memories."

With his aching hand, he struggled to reach for her cheeks instead of her neck, to wipe the tears that glistened on them. "Please find my Hi stone," he said, before disappearing right before her eyes.

* * *

"_This is it, Minako-chan…"_

"_Mamoru-san, it can't be. This fell from the sword that I wielded when we last fought Beryl, the sword from that Princess Serenity used to kill you and herse--"_

"_You say this stone was attached to that sword?"_

"_Unn… I only kept it because… I had stored it as a keepsake. I never knew that it would do something until now when it lighted up--"_

"_There is no mistake about it. I sense more power returning to me now as I touch this stone and more power will be returned to me when we return this to its real owner. Only if the shittenou return to me would I recover again."_

"_Mamoru-san… are you saying that…"_

"_Yes… you should return Kunzite's Hi stone to him."_

Minako stared at the royal blue stone on her hand and could not believe that there was something special about it. This is the jewel that was affixed in the sword of the Silver Millennium. The last time she held that sword was also against Beryl. Now, light emanated from this gem and seemed as though it was alive. Who'd ever think that there was something special about a simple adornment?

But how could this jewel get into that sword? How can something like Kunzite's _Hi_ stone be with her all this time?

Minako sighed. She wanted all the answers. Maybe after the huge battle with Elis, she will get it. Right now, she has to return this stone to Kunzite… wherever he is. How can Mamoru-san expect her to find him? It's not like she could find him in the ramen house or have him hanging out with her all this time!

"Aino-san, you seem to be too deep in thought."

"_Anoo…. "_ Minako giggled and blushed, trying to compose herself. Kenta's deep voice awakened her from complacency.

"_Daijoubu_… I just… just… " Kenta lost his train of thought for a moment, feeling something strange within him. "Are you going home?" He finally asked.

Minako nodded. "I'm just thinking of my lines. Dress rehearsal today was very tough," she smiled at him. "I should go home now and rest. I'll just look for Artemis."

"_Sou…_ Artemis… he told me how he asked you out," Kenta told her, much to Minako's surprise.

"_Maa… maa…_ It's not like that at all! Artemis is just--"

"Yes, he doesn't look so dashing but he is just honest with his feelings. I never knew that would work on women."

Minako chuckled, trying to mask feelings that she was greatly disturbed. "It's really not--"

"I haven't asked a woman out, so like you, I've gone to an _omi-ai_. She told me that there's exactly that person I was looking for and that she could set me up to meet with this person."

Minako didn't want to explain anymore now that her heart and ego were suddenly crushed. "You mean, you would be going back to Chiaki-san?" she asked, sounding disappointed.

"No…" Kenta answered, still not attuned to Minako's obvious feelings of hurt. "That is done. This is a new person. I never thought that there was somebody who had all the things I wanted… and that this person actually exists."

"They do… when you look hard…"

Kenta nodded. "That's one reason why I want to take your advice and find her myself… but I am not sure what to ask. I don't think I can be like Artemis."

That was just noble and incredibly cute. Minako wanted nothing more than to help him despite her wounded heart. "Just speak from your heart," she said, smiling. "Maybe you can tell me how you would like to ask her out and I'll tell you if it's good."

Kenta sighed and looked a bit worried. "I wanted to ask…" Kenta coughed, clearing his throat in preparation.

"Hello, pretty lady. Do you want to spend the rest of the afternoon with me?'"

Like ice, the strangest feeling trickled down Minako's back, piercing her body with the eeriest of things and freezing her… that was how it all felt. That was the line she had hoped somebody would tell her, the line she was sure she would fall for. She had wished for somebody to say it to her ever since she was Sailor V… many years ago.

"I-is… it not good, Aino-san?" Kenta looked at her worriedly.

"It is very good," Minako answered softly and impassively. "It is very good."

_But it's not for me…_ she told herself disappointedly.

"It's very good…" Kenta's smile was from ear to ear, feeling very content and unknowing that he was the densest of men.

Only in the kindest of hearts would a girl feel torn upon looking at that smile as the most beautiful and at the same time, the deadliest in telling her outright that her feelings were unrequited.

"_Arigatou…_ Minako-san… " Kenta could not have rubbed it in for the worse when he said that squeezing Minako's hand and his eyes beaming at her with the deepest appreciation.

Kenta's lips were still moving and Minako can't seem to hear what he was still saying. The entire scene around her was enveloped in mist rendering things to move in slow motion. She could feel the Hi stone in her hand glowing and the beats in her heart signaled that the enemy was there. But she somehow remained transfixed in Kenta's gaze and savoring the few seconds when he called her _Minako-san_ instead of the formal _Aino-san_….

The floor rumbled in a huge earthquake throwing Kenta and Minako to the ground and separating them from each other. In front of them, Elis emerged from a dark hole underground with his dark red hair glowing up to his knees and with an angry disposition on his handsome face.

"I seem to have misunderstood something… I was on the wrong impression that you were trying to resist becoming my ally," Elis said angrily, looking straight at Kenta.

"Leave him alone!" Minako shouted, rising on her knees.

"Should I be even listening to you?" Elis muttered. "If you didn't have something of value, I would've destroyed you the moment I came in."

"Don't harm her! This is between both of us!" Kenta shouted at him.

_Eh?_ Minako was confused. Wasn't Elis earlier addressing her knowing that he was after the _sailor senshi_? How can Kenta--?

"Now she is involved!" Elis roared with anger. "She is not who you think she is! The very thing you have been looking for was with her all this time!"

It was Kenta's turn to be confused.

"The memories you have kept … the very thing that you are holding to that's why you keep fighting the Dark Power that I have instilled in you!" Elis said, the wind from beneath the power under his feet causing his hair to flow upwards.

"Even in this new kingdom, she has betrayed you just like she did in the past…" Elis smirked. "...She has kept something that really belongs to you, just as they had all kept our Prince away from our kingdom!!"

"Liar!" Minako shouted.

"Then what is that in your hand?" Elis pointed to the glowing stone in Minako's hand.

The stone glowed brightly than ever, glimmers falling on Minako's face. It had reacted only this much as though someone else had caused it to glow… as though someone had desired it so much.

"_Mamoru-san… are you saying that…"_

"_Yes… you should return Kunzite's Hi stone to him."_

Minako exhaled in great disappointment as she looked to Kenta with this realization of who he really was and said, "_Masaka…_"

Kenta gasped in fright as he saw Elis release a huge pillar of dark energy towards Minako throwing her back against the wall of the stage. He frantically stood up to try to get to her but he soon found that both of his feet were locked to the floor by Elis's power. The mist and the smoke from the blast blurred his vision. Kenta felt crushed to see that the Hi stone that contained his memories and the very woman who made his entire present life make sense to him were gone.

Minako was gone. That opened a huge chasm in his heart, like a huge void that hurts.

"There are now no barriers to you becoming my fully ally… Kunzite…"

"Stop it! You have spoken lies about the Silver Millennium, about Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion… about us! We would never betray anyone!"

A dark silhouette suddenly emerged from the smoke as Sailorvenus. "In the name of Venus, I will punish you!"

Only in the densest of hearts would one be torn to see someone who he was sure was an important person in his life return to life and yet feel the pangs of the deepest betrayal caused by her. The latter of which Kenta was not sure enough. He just knew that Minako was really Sailorvenus and that Elis was right -- she held his Hi stone in her hand. He, as Kunzite, the one who stood in front of Sailorvenus right now needed more than anything else to regain the memories he had lost and find out whether the betrayal that Queen Serenity and the _senshi_ of the Silver Millennium that Elis spoke of was true.

Realizing that both _senshi_ and Hi stone were still intact, Elis spent no time in gathering his energy to strike back and fast. "This time, I will not relent in destroying you… Sailorvenus."

Sailorvenus was prepared to attack but only Kunzite had calculated the determination in Elis and the strength that he has summoned in his attack to destroy her. And even before, Sailorvenus could finish calling on her "Love and Beauty Shock," the force of Elis's swift and heavy attack failed to strike even the tips of her hair because Kunzite had swooped in and delivered her away from it in the same way that he had rescued her on the street the first time they met.

"I believe this belongs to me, Princess of Venus…" Kunzite said wearily, trying to catch his breath. Sailorvenus had now realized that his left shoulder had not successfully evaded the attack and the blood from this injury soaked into his gray uniform.

"… But for now, I hope you can keep it for me…." Kunzite told her. He tried his best to smile reassuringly and his blue eyes pleaded to her.

And with that, Kunzite touched the stone that Sailorvenus held with both his hands. In that instant, the light shone from the Hi stone and enveloped Elis's mist with the most blinding light, weakening Elis.

The purposes of Kunzite's Hi stone were now fully activated bringing to Kunzite a surge of memories that he now only understood.

_For the first time, he was able to see the grand palace where his Prince lived. He saw his three other allies -- Jadeite, Nephrite and Zoicite. Within seconds, he saw himself standing in front of the Grand Hall of the Silver Millennium, knowing that it was the court of Queen Serenity with the Earth as its glorious backdrop in the sky. And he also knew that it was the Queen Serenity's court because he saw a most comely face dressed in a light-orange gown, floating lightly on her feet like a feather. _

_The one who came smiled graciously at him, grinning with such confidence not understanding such attention before and resisting the urge to blush. Yet, she came to him and asked him if he would love to dance… love to dance with her! _

_No other woman has compelled him with such an honor. He could not see the moment in his memory if he had agreed to her request for his memory now transported him to a place of fire where he was handing her a sword that he had asked her to hold on to…._

"Kun… Kunzite…. " Sailorvenus was now driven to tears as she saw him swoon from all the memories. She understood how he could not all take it for she was there with him experiencing the same things. The power of the Hi stone weakened her but her determination to obey his request lingered.

A weakened Elis was approaching. Now was her chance to flee. She bid one last goodbye on Kunzite and kissed him on the forehead.

Kunzite was breathing steadily as he lay unconscious when Elis came to find him there without the _senshi_ he thought he destroyed.

"You would regret this, Kunzite," Elis threatened his unconscious and unwilling ally then touched his chest with his hand and then disappeared.

Sailorvenus had narrowly escaped the strength of Elis. She was now running towards the hospital where Mamoru and Usagi were to tell them of the things she had seen. The stone in her hand now had a faint glow.

Unknown to Sailorvenus, Kunzite's _Hi_ stone had triggered many other important things. Mamoru sat in his hospital bed and felt the rejuvenation return to his body at that very moment, relieving Usagi of worries on his health.

Ami swore that she had seen Soujirou walking as V Knight by the same road in Tokyo Tech and transforming as Zoicite right before her eyes.

Makoto had a vision of Nephrite speaking to her under the shadows of the Earth of the past Silver Millennium sky that she as Princess of Jupiter shared with him in the past. She could vividly see the tears in his eyes as he spoke to her.

And Rei, who was sitting by the Sacred Fire at that time, saw the image of Jadeite in the fire except that his eyes now glowed with hope and not with anger. "You have been like the element you wield -- beautiful, elegant and graceful as the flame yet resisting even those who love you that came near."

Jadeite continued to smile at her. She could see the Earth behind him and Rei now knew that this was the past Jadeite. "It doesn't matter what you or I feel in the future," the image of Jadeite told her. "I have chosen you."

The flames danced and removed the image of Jadeite from Rei's view. Its hands rose in fury till it reached the roof and then it reached its calmest and settled at the bottom to reveal a glowing stone floating on top of its flames.

Rei could not believe her eyes. This was… Jadeite's _Hi_ stone.

- tsuzuku -

* * *

**chiisai noto:**

Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) I keep apologizing for the late updates but real life things keep happening… I don't even know where to start. But anyway, here's the update. It's looooong… and I am onto the next chapter. Gosh! You have no idea how I already want to go more on the memories. I understand how they all feel somehow… it's confusing how the past intertwines with the present.


	20. 18: Conflicts

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 18 - Conflicts**

**Jisho/Dictionary:  
ANOO…**Umm…  
**ARIGATOU...**Thank you  
**DAIJOUBU…** It is okay / Are you ok? (depending on context)  
**GOMEN NASAI…**Sorry/My apologies  
**HAI…** Yes  
**HENSHIN...**Transform/Transformation  
**HI stone…** A stone of light  
**KAGE stone…** A stone of darkness  
**KOTO…** Japanese musical string instrument  
**KUSO…** Sht!  
**HAKAMA…** Japanese kimono pants  
**MASAKA...**It can't be  
**MIKO...**Shrine priestess  
**MINNA-SAN...**Everyone  
**NADESHIKO…** Ideal Japanese beauty  
**NANI...**What?  
**OMI-AI**. Matchmaker  
**ONEGAISHIMASU…** Please...  
**SENSHI…** Soldier  
**SHITTENOU:**Four heavenly kings. Refers to the "generals" Jadeite, Kunzite, Nephrite and Zoicite.  
**URUSAI!** Shut up!  
**YAMETE!!** Stop!

**In the Previous Chapter:**

The_ senshi_ are divided on how to approach Elis due to speculations on the loyalty of the _shittenou_ bound by him. Some of them are even fighting hard against Elis's control such as Kunzite, who even went to his reincarnated Prince who lay weak in his hospital bed.

Minako, Rei, Ami and Makoto want to investigate further into finding what Kunzite is describing as a Hi stone that will enable him to return his memories. Haruka is adamant against supporting such a venture and saying that this will lead into a trap.

Despite these quarrels, Makoto proceeds to help Nephrite who she has earlier discovered was reincarnated as her recent ex-boyfriend Sanjounin. Sanjounin begs her to find his Hi stone as well. V-Knight finally reveals himself to Ami as both Soujirou and Zoicite. Apart from being brokenhearted in revealing his true 'identities,' Zoicite asks Ami to find his Hi stone.

Minako in the meantime has seen the stone she kept from the sword she once wielded to kill Beryl to display a different behavior and Mamoru identified it as Kunzite's Hi stone. In the dress rehearsal, she discovered that Kenta followed her advice to seek an _omi-ai_ and also is Kunzite himself! Kunzite's reaction with his _Hi_ stone brought on a surge of memories to him, Minako, and all the other _senshi_ and _shittenou._

As for Rei, Kaidou-san is all the more present in her life and her father's especially with the final campaigns for the Prime Minister position. Even though she fought to regain back Kamui, he revealed to her that he and Jadeite are the same person. Their touch revealed a glimpse of their meetings in the Silver Millennium and Kunzite's activation of his Hi stone brought a bigger memory for Rei -- Jadeite's own Hi stone appeared on top of the Sacred Fire.

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

* * *

Elis looked at the wall of ice before him and smiled in satisfaction as the body of Kunzite was encased within. Elis put his right palm on the wall and as soon as he did that, the dark crystal _Kage_ stone in Kunzite's chest glowed so that Kunzite writhed and groaned in pain. This was enough display for his three other allies behind him. No other display of power would be influential enough to make them pursue their original mission. 

Nephrite was the only one who secretly felt uneasy as he saw the foremost_ shittenou_ before him struggle and freeze in coagulated ice water with as little movement as possible. He could read what Kunzite uttered in between shivers -- "Kenta, Kenta, Kenta… -- as though Kunzite was holding to his present self as the person without a dark ominous past. But Nephrite thought that this was the only way to hold onto the same hope and wait for the arrival of his own Hi stone. He has but little hope left. Even though it is very possible to obtain the Hi stone, he could just as well end up like Kunzite.

Zoicite in the meantime had already succumbed to his former self -- the calculating and wise king who always allied himself with the one who had a greater advantage. After all, Zoicite knew that with such power under Elis's foot and more of that untapped power of Metallia yet to be taken by Elis in the Artic Circle, the _senshi_ would not stand a chance. He could see that as Elis tapped into the _Kage_ stones within them, the power under Elis's feet increased. This would mean weakening the Crystal in Endymion and more of the power transferred to Elis. So Soujirou surmised… it would not be beneficial to fight the inevitable.

Jadeite was at this point the only one unfazed with Elis's torture of Kunzite. He had the most vivid memory of the Princess of Mars -- she had burned him, literally. That was enough. More memories have come of their earlier meetings where he might have loved her… and loved her to death. More than enough reason to be satisfied with.

"You cannot run away from your mission," Elis spoke, unknowingly justifying Jadeite's thoughts. "How can you trust such a treacherous race?"

"Don't you remember what they did?" Elis continued. "The Princess of the Moon and our own Prince defied our alliance… our sovereignty! By their affair, she influenced our Prince to defy his word! He has left us for her!"

Elis took his palm off Kunzite's icy cage and threw a huge punch on the ground of ice below. The force of his punch was not too hard on the solid floor of ice but from his fist, dark power emerged like ink penetrating through the chilly waters underneath. And with that, his four allies all chorused in pain and fell on their knees as the _Kage_ stone within them glowed.

"This will show you the true power of Metallia, the raw power that Beryl herself cannot wield…" Elis laughed.

Elis then took his fist from the floor and the groaning had stopped. He stood proud and satisfied.

Jadeite stood up first and the first thing he did was put his right palm on the center of his chest and bowed low before Elis. Zoicite stood up and did the same thing. Nephrite was the last to stand. He did not bow low as the other two did but he looked straight at Elis and smiled.

Second later, shards of ice flew from cage of ice enabling Kunzite to be released from it. Kunzite had emerged unscathed as though he was never tortured by the dark powers of Elis. Far from it though, this time, he has forgotten that episode as quick as the rising powers of Metallia in the Artic. The _Kage_ stone within him has intensified itself in him and all of the_ shittenou_.

"Your time is up, Prince Endymion…" Elis proudly proclaimed. "Very soon, I will rightfully be proclaimed as the rightful Prince of Earth."

* * *

_Juichigatsu. Toka. November 10__th_

"_Nani?_! You will not be present at the DLP elections?!" Ono-san shrill voice exclaimed in disbelief.

"This cannot be!" Ono-san continued without letting Rei speak. "He needs the support of his entire team at the most important political event of the year!"

"I am more than his staff, Ono-san. I am his daughter," Rei tried to speak as calm as she can. "I hope you and him don't forget that." But a little sarcasm is just part of her character.

"No way! I am disappointed in you, Hino-san!" Ono-san scolded angrily. "This has been planned for the past year! It would've been different if you didn't show up earlier but nooo… you had to be the perfect little _nadeshiko_ daughter that every Japanese household would wish for! The fact that you're a _miko_ without a mother… now standing by her father… and now you would just run off and shove down the publicity?? You can't be serious at--"

"--_URUSAI!_" Rei shouted with such a modulated volume that Ono-san swore the floor shook.

Rei's incensed and determined gaze at Ono-san shrunk her to such a tiny piece that she could not stand to utter even a murmur for Rei.

"In these important days, I have never let my father down when he needed me and I would not do so in this case if something more important isn't happening," Rei told her in a very forceful tone. "If you still don't know, he has turned down me and my mother in the past so he of all people would understand how it is to move away for something one thinks is more important."

Ono-san coughed and regained her composure to haughtily say, "B-but… it's not like you're saving the world like he is, Hino-san."

"_URUSAI!"_ Rei shouted again, causing Ono-san to shiver in fear. "You are my father's secretary so be honorable enough to deliver everything I say word for word or then you will understand how the Hino denounce the dishonorable!"

Ono-san gulped and nodded.

"You're right about one thing though," Rei continued to speak as she stood ready to leave by the door. "I am not saving the world like my father was. I am saving the world for the people I love."

Rei left the Diet building in what could seem like the last time. As much as it was a relief to put Ono-san in her place for berating her, she actually felt sad to leave. It's not that politics had warmed up to her. Maybe the challenge changed her. But most of all, she understood the world in which Kamui-san thrived in. And leaving it to fight the same Kamui in order to return the old one who she fell inlove with was entirely heartbreaking.

But she was not the only one to do it anyway. Everyone else had to make sacrifices and put a stop to their present lives however thriving it was for all of them.

So here now that Rei found herself in the company of those who wish to do just that -- save the world for the people they love. Nobody else understood the frustration in putting your life on hold for such a big sacrifice and nobody else understood the capacity that one's heart needs in order to do this same mission of saving the world by going against someone you love. No one else save Ami, Minako, Makoto and Usagi. The only difference is that Usagi's experience remained in everyone's memory as that only happened six years ago and everybody else can still relate to that.

The past of the _senshi_ and the _shittenou_ are only being uncovered now.

"Are you ready?" Usagi asked her _senshi_ in the gentlest voice as a mother would.

"Huh?" Everyone has just seemed to awaken in a daze from all the thinking of the what-ifs and the what-must've-been in both their past and presents.

"Mamo-chan said that the Hi stone might also awaken your memories of the past so I wanted to know if you are all ready to face them," Usagi further explained.

"I thought that they only need the _Hi_ stone to awaken their past so that they can revive the memories of their loyalty to their Prince before Beryl brainwashed them?" Ami asked … with a lot of detail in just one question just so to be clear.

"It seems that you are all involved in their memories," Usagi answered gently. "Just as I am as Serenity with Endymion in the past."

Ami gasped. "You m-mean…?"

Usagi nodded. "It just could be… but we'll find out in your case, Ami-chan--"

"--In Kenta's Hi stone, I saw myself with him… he was entrusting the Lunar sword to me…" Minako interrupted. There was complete sadness in her voice. "I know that when I looked at him, he was so much more… as though I loved him."

"I saw him come to you, Prince Endymion… begging you not to destroy the alliance and destroy the affair you have with Princess Serenity so that you would not forsake the succession of your heir."

Minako paused and sighed. She then looked at Mamoru and said, "Who is your heir, Mamoru-san?"

Mamoru glanced down for a bit and sighed. He looked straight at Minako and with disappointment in his voice, he answered, "Elis."

This sent all the _senshi_ to gasp.

"In the past, the alliance of the Earth and the Silver Millennium forbid each one of our citizens to marry to recognize each kingdom's sovereignty. This was because the Silver Crystal was entrusted to the Moon and the Gold Crystal was entrusted to the Earth. Each kingdom must have an heir to continue wielding these Crystals. These power of these Crystals can be abused in the hands of one person so the alliance was made to maintain the balance of power.

I have named Elis as my heir for his loyalty and bravery for saving my life, even above all my four loyal kings saying they were satisfied to be in my service instead. However, I went to visit the Moon for the first time and I soon fell inlove with Princess Serenity.

Our love was in secret and everyone including Elis, Beryl and the_ shittenou_ thought that it was dangerous to destroy the alliance and unify our kingdoms to only have one heir. But I knew that my love for Serenity was eternal… I would forsake everything for her. I assured Elis that he will be my heir whatever happens but he did not believe me. He aligned himself with Beryl and awakened Metallia who secretly hid her powers underneath Beryl's kingdom."

Usagi sat dreamy-eyed staring at Mamoru for his declaration of love but she was the only one to have favor on him at this moment.

Rei particularly could not help but ask, "So Elis was _almost_ right in saying that you betrayed them all for Princess Serenity?"

"Rei-san!" Usagi exclaimed defensively but Mamoru gently squeezed her hand to calm her down.

"It was my fault…" Mamoru nodded guiltily. "I could've made it clear to Elis that he was my one and true heir but I wasn't able to do that until Beryl had brainwashed him and the _shittenou_."

Everybody bit their lip at Mamoru's confession, especially Usagi who knew how much she played in Mamoru's seeming betrayal.

"I guess that is the way our destiny should be because… love has a cost," Makoto said softly, speaking the plainest realization that everybody got in the midst of all the sadness.

"Besides, we can never change the past but we can only do something about the present," Rei said quickly, sounding impassive and in-a-matter-of-fact, jumping to her defense of compartmentalizing all the mixed emotions that ran inside of her.

Rei now held the Hi stone that appeared in the Sacred Fire and showed it in front of everybody. Immediately, the stone glowed in front of Mamoru and he felt his body rejuvenate from its power.

"That is… Jadeite's…." Mamoru said, relieved.

"How have you gotten that so quickly, Rei-chan?" Makoto anxiously asked, almost leaping from her place. "Nephrite told me that his can be found in Canada."

"And Zoicite told me his can be found in Alaska," Ami jumped in anxiously as well.

"It just appeared to me," Rei stated coldly.

"Were you able to see Jadeite's memories, Rei-chan?" Minako inquired.

"No."

"No?" Minako was confused and waited for more explanation as did everybody else.

Rei huffed in irritation. "Do I have to?" she said furiously. "My experiences and memories do not matter. All we have to do is send this back to Jadeite so that he can regain the memories he had before Beryl brainwashed them!"

"Rei-ch-chan…." Minako was all the more confused at Rei's reaction considering that everybody knew how she and Kamui-san were before all this happened. Except everyone knew that Rei would not react if there was a better reason and no one dared to question her when she put an armor around her vulnerability.

"Well if Rei-chan was able to find it, then I would be able to find Nephrite's Hi stone in a matter of time," Makoto forced a smile, trying to cheer herself up.

"_Sou…_maybe it is just a matter of time…." Mamoru spoke to agree.

"_Nani_?" Usagi gasped.

Mamoru nodded. "My _shittenou_ would not entrust something as valuable as their memories to just anyone, not to their enemies. It could be that what Minako said was true -- that you were more to them than just acquaintances before the fall of the Silver Millennium."

"What are you saying, Mamoru-san?" Minako anxiously inquired.

"That the Hi stones did not get to you and Rei-san by accident," Mamoru replied. "These stones have a natural affinity to you because they have set these _Hi_ stones to find you no matter what."

"But why did they say the Hi stones are located in another country?" Ami asked.

"Those countries are originally their kingdoms here on Earth. They probably hid it there secretly but it is only you who can activate it… that if you desire it that much, it can be powerful enough to bring itself to you."

"_Sou…_" Makoto sighed in disappointment at the thought that she had not desired it as much as Minako or Rei. Yet the good thing about Makoto is that she never had bouts of denial in her mind even up to this point unlike Rei who continued to bite her lip at Mamoru's statement.

"_Yoshi!_ I will not give up!" Makoto said positively. "I will go to Canada and find Nephrite's _Hi_ stone!"

"I too am willing to go to Alaska and get Zoicite's Hi stone!" Ami exclaimed. "Whatever it takes to return Mamoru-san back to normal and defeat Elis!"

"I have a better way than a plane ride," Usagi smiled cheerfully. "We can all combine forces and use the Silver Crystal to teleport us to exactly where the Hi stones are. I'm sure it can show us the way because we have Mako-chan and Ami-chan as the keys to them."

Makoto walked towards Usagi and almost tearfully placed her hand on Usagi's hand. "_Arigatou_, Usagi-chan…" she thanked appreciatively.

"_Arigatou,_ Usagi…" Ami smiled and thanked cheerfully as well.

Rei was amazed at the sudden turn of events. Suddenly, a faint of glimmer of hope had appeared -- the two other _Hi_ stones could actually be found! Yet, she would not be confronted by any kind of optimism lest she be again disillusioned. "Are you ready?" was Usagi's first question to them. Ready? Cushioning herself from the worst kind of memory was probably not enough for that moment should a surge of evil memories between her and Jadeite emerge from him activating his Hi stone.

So Rei chose to focus instead on the goal of saving the world for the people she loved -- for Usagi and Mamoru, Makoto, Ami and Minako who are all intent to save their _shittenou_.

And for the past Kamui. The Kamui Asano who tied the wood block of his wish of having the _miko_ of Hikawa Jinja.

This will be her pressing motivation to summon the power needed to contribute to the Silver Crystal to teleport. And for that entire time that the four of them waited for Usagi outside in the hospital parking lot while Usagi said goodbye to Mamoru-san, she would prefer to psych herself into this proper mindset instead.

But even that would be tested.

"Where are you going?" an angry and forceful voice modulated in the background.

Rei did not sense the danger of an upcoming enemy because this was no enemy. Sailoruranus, Sailorneptune, Sailorsaturn and Sailorpluto were the ones behind them. Sailoruranus's demeanor was especially dark and threatening for reasons that they would now explain.

"We saw everything in my mirror," Sailorneptune told them, but with a tone not as irate as Sailoruranus's. "You are still pursuing retrieving the _Hi_ stones even now that the true forms of the enemies have surfaced."

"Why have you hidden this from us?" Sailoruranus asked angrily.

"This meeting has the consent of Princess Serenity," Minako answered fearlessly. "We don't wish to keep it a secret from you but you would not understand."

"The enemy is increasing in power. We can feel his presence!" Sailorpluto replied with the staunchest concern in her voice. "How can you not let us help you with this? We are the same _senshi_!"

"I thought that you have set yourselves to guard Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion?" Rei asked irately. "Shouldn't you set all your energy in doing what you have said to do instead?"

"That is not our job! That is the task entrusted to you!" Sailoruranus exclaimed.

"That was in the past, Sailoruranus, where you were all stationed in your planets," Rei answered coldly. "In the present, you are all walking in the same ground as we do."

"Sailoruranus!_Minna-san!_" Makoto anxiously waved, interrupting the ongoing tension. "Please understand! Getting the _Hi_ stones will enable us to return the memories of the _shittenou_ back to before Beryl brainwashed them! Back to the time when they were loyal to Endymion! It will show them the truth and they will return the Crystal within Endymion back to normal!"

"But the enemy is--" Sailorpluto said.

"--The true form of the enemy is not the same as the ones you see," Makoto added. "Their _Hi_ stones respond only to us and we have to get it back to return them back to Endymion!"

"But I cannot see that in my mirror!" Sailorneptune explained.

"Elis has awakened more of Metallia's power to cloud your instruments but the _Hi_ stones can get through this mist," Ami replied. "And this is why … this is why you cannot see it and only Rei can sense the enemy through her meditation."

For awhile there, the outer senshi remained silent to process everything that the guardian _senshi_ have spoken to them. Yet Minako and the rest could only sense that doubt lingered in them more than anything else and were too focused at their own mission than to negotiate.

"We have remained passive before by doing nothing in our posts while we saw the destruction happen before us," Sailoruranus calmly said with much regret. "We cannot take that chance again!"

And immediately, the outer senshi have assembled their positions in a battle stance seriously aimed at the _senshi_ in front of them. Alarmed as they were that moment, the guardians of the Silver Millennium Moon princess were able to recover easily so as to understand the stake of this proposed battle in front of them.

"Well then… this is a risk we have to take…." Rei huffed to exhale all her irritation and rolled her eyes at that.

Minako smiled at her and nodded. She then turned towards the outer senshi and shouted, "Because this fight belongs to us!!!"

"Mars Crystal Power!!"

"Mercury Crystal Power!"

"Jupiter Crystal Power!"

"Venus Crystal Power!!!!!"

"MAKE-UP!!!!!!!"

The _henshin_ sequences of the four inner princesses were completed all at once and they stood in a different battle stance where unlike the their adversaries who were positioned with the precedence of Sailoruranus in the middle. Cvery single inner princess were all in one row with their formation. Their hands were also ready to draw in their elemental weapons because they were determined to get this over with as quickly as possible and with the least damage. Their adversaries were after all, _senshi_ as they are, except these are the ones that were not brainwashed by any evil entity like Galaxia. These were determined _senshi_, and strong ones who they have absolute regard for as their friends.

The outer _senshi_ knew this. They could smell this kind of advantage from afar but they too were far too focused on their own Princess, who they have sworn to protect at all costs in this present time.

So each _senshi_ eye met another _senshi_ eye in this forthcoming battle. It would've started on time had it not been for a lighted boomerang that crossed their battle paths.

The boomerang belonged to no other than Princess Serenity herself and as Sailormoon, she chose no other than the classic Moon Tiara Action that she had not used for a long time had it not been for this impending civil war. The Moon Tiara skidded on the pavement and the speed from Sailormoon's fiery throw caused a dark line to burn between them. The message was clear.

"Why must we fight each other, _minna-san_?" Sailormoon tearfully asked, staring straight at the dividing line caused by her tiara.

Nobody spoke. Nobody abandoned their battle stances either. And no one else wanted to pursue their previously planned attack, ironically, much to their relief of finally not hurting another of their own.

Sailorvenus was the first to draw down her fists and sadly empathizing with Sailormoon as was her character said, "_Gomen nasai… _Sailormoon… " and everybody else soon followed after that. Sailorsaturn now cannot help the tears from falling down her cheeks and only then did everybody feel the full impact of why might have been should Sailormoon not have intervened.

Sailormoon was the most downtrodden and she walked down the straight dividing line between them. "I should be the one to say sorry, _minna…_." she said softly. "I haven't done anything because I have depended on you. And even when Mamo-chan too… is dying…."

As tears continued to flow down Sailormoon's cheeks. "But we cannot resort to this. I love you all just as well," she told them. "As long as I live, I will not allow this."

Sailormoon wiped her tears with her fingers and exhaled to break all the tension within her. She then looked at Sailorvenus, then Sailormars, then Sailorjupiter and Sailormercury -- looking at them intently and reassuringly. Touching the Silver Crystal in her brooch, she smiled weakly at them and commanded, "Let's go."

"Sailormoon… but--"

"--I have decided, Sailoruranus," Sailormoon instantly replied to that objection. "We are going to find the rest of the _Hi_ stones."

"It could be a trap, Sailormoon!" Sailorneptune pleaded.

Sailormoon gently shook her head, turned to the other _senshi_ and told them, "_Daijoubu_,_minna…_ I know that if anything goes wrong, you will be there to stop it. But right now, you cannot take part in a destiny that only belongs to us."

"Would this be the right way, Serenity-sama?" Sailorpluto sadly asked. "I have guarded the gates of time and know the past can settle a different score that maybe… maybe… we don't have to go and change it."

Sailormoon nodded and smiled. "We can never change the past but we can change the present," she said, and then smiled at Sailormars, who nodded approvingly to acknowledge.

Sailormoon then took a step closer to Sailoruranus and bowing low before her, pleaded, "Please… take care of Mamo-chan… _onegaishimasu_"

Sailoruranus blushed with embarrassment at her sovereign bowing to her so genuflected on her knees and said, "I promise, Sailormoon…."

Immediately then did Sailorpluto and Sailorsaturn put down their staves and genuflected along with Sailorneptune to follow suit. "We promise, Sailormoon," they all swore in unison. In their hearts, the outer_senshi_ struggled with the thought of having their own Princess and their own comrades go and search for assets that belonged to their own enemies, but this was a risk they were willing to forego for the sake of trust.

The humbling point in each of the _senshi's_ lives were again instilled in them by their Princess. If it weren't for Serenity, Sailorvenus, Sailormars, Sailorjupiter and Sailormercury would not be sailing with her across the skies to teleport in finding the Hi stones left. With their hands linked to each other, their hearts were all knitted towards the goal of saving the world for those they love.

"Kunzite has asked me to continue keeping his _Hi_ stone…" spoke Sailorvenus while still linked with the rest of the inner _senshi_ in the teleportation.

"Why is that?" Sailormercury asked.

"I don't know," Sailorvenus answered, herself bewildered. "Maybe Elis would not have wanted that."

"Maybe you're right," Sailorjupiter answered. She said that because the Sailor teleport lead them to a dimly lighted cave. The dampness and the duskiness were only suppressed by the gentle light of the Silver Crystal so that the _senshi_ could find their way through the cave's path. It was such an unlikely place for a _Hi_ stone but if it had to kept in a place like this, it must've been that important for the _shittenou_ to hide it from everyone else, including Elis.

"Where could it be?" Sailormoon asked, looking around the cave.

"It is near…" Sailorjupiter murmured, and then ran towards the path in the direction that none of the other _senshi_ understood. It was because they could not hear it or recognize it. It was the distinct sound of a _koto_ with its music echoing in the hollow roof of the cave. Maybe Sailorjupiter had not recognized it earlier so that the _Hi_ stone would come to her just as they did with Sailormars and Sailorvenus.

She was probably meant to follow it just as she followed Sanjounin. And this just proves that Mamoru-san was right-- the _Hi_ stones had a naturally affinity to the _senshi_, for Sailorjupiter had just found it levitating at the far end of the cave, glowing gloriously.

Sailorjupiter knew that this was the _Hi_ stone that was destined to be entrusted to her that she cannot contain her happiness at the sight of it! She was almost leaping as she ran towards the stone to take it until Sailorvenus reached the end of the path where Sailorjupiter stopped and saw the glowing stone up ahead. There was one thing she immediately realized -- Kunzite's_Hi_ stone did not glow unless he was near.

This only meant one thing and Sailorvenus's heart pounded in agreement to the previous fear posed by the outer _senshi._This was a trap. "_Yamete!!!"_ she screamed.

It was a good thing that Sailorjupiter was not stubborn because she halted immediately, even taking a step back to realize that Sailorvenus would not have screamed like that for no reason. Her retreat however was not as fortunate. A hand invisibly grab hold of her neck only for its antagonist to appear out of the shadows to slowly reveal the owner of the _Hi_ stone -- Nephrite.

"Thought you might drop by," Nephrite evilly grinned despite a struggling Sailorjupiter hanging in near asphyxiation.

"Let her go!" Sailormoon commanded.

"I do not trust your treacherous race," Nephrite said, echoing Elis's words. "You have made our Prince destroy the alliance and betray our own kingdom by abandoning his own heir!"

"That was the past, Nephrite!" Sailormoon reasoned. "It was our destiny… to love and be loved--"

"--Love?" Nephrite scoffed. "Does love only make you think of your own selves?"

"No… It does not…" Sailorjupiter mumbled, pointing a finger on Nephrite's forehead and struck a lightning bolt directly at her own beloved enabling him to release her to which she immediately scrambled to get a hold of the _Hi_ stone.

Unfortunately, unlike Sailorvenus, the bearer of the Hi stone was too intent on not letting Sailorjupiter have his. He struggled to tug it away from her and in doing so, their touch triggered the biggest surge on his mind having a blast of memories descend upon that weakened him on his knees.

The_Hi_ stone too had triggered a common memory that allowed all the _senshi_ to experience the same past that Nephrite saw.

"_This is the power of Queen Metallia…" spoke the red-haired prince. This was Elis, whose eyes were still gentle in those days. _

"_You and I will also experience the same power that Beryl wields," Elis told the four shittenou standing before him. Beryl was smiling contentedly by his side. _

"_Hmph… if you really wanted to use this method in order to knock some sense into our Prince, why must you need us?" Zoicite, the ever strategic king, scoffed._

"_B-because…" stuttered Endymion's heir. "… The power of Queen Metallia is too great even for Beryl to wield it!"_

"_So you need us to distribute more of her power?" Zoicite asked in a leering tone._

"_Yes," Elis nodded. "You don't understand… if we there are more of us more powerful than our Prince, we don't need to worry about who can succeed in order to control the Gold Crystal that he wields. We do not even need the Gold Crystal to rule the Earth!"_

"_I do not like this method," Nephrite quickly responded. "We only want to reason with our Prince not to get rid of him."_

"_I too have great opposition to this!" Jadeite argued. "Your reasoning is flawed, Elis!"_

"_How dare you address me this way? I am the true heir to this kingdom! Its next protector!" Elis shouted defensively. _

"_Elis is right, Jadeite," Kunzite calmly rebuffed, making Jadeite quietly settle his opposition with a look of disdain. "You cannot speak to him that way."_

_Kunzite calmly looked at Elis and said, "You cannot make us submit to this method. We are loyal to the Endymion, the one true Prince of the Earth."_

_From a look of disdain, Jadeite's expression changed to a more cheerful disposition, contented now that Kunzite has vindicated his statement… with a great emphasis as well in that tiny hint of sarcasm that was unlike him._

_Elis however seethed in rage within, trying his best to control it from showing. As far as he was concerned, he was in a position of being shrewd given the advantage that he had. "Has the Princess of the Moon weakened you as well?" he asked angrily. _

"_It is not the Princess of the Moon that has bewitched them! Her guardian princesses have taken their hearts away from this kingdom just as the Princess of the Moon did with our Prince!" accused Beryl, who by now had released the poison of Metallia in the air and on the ground to disable all those who had not yet succumbed to the dark witch's power from moving or breathing easily._

"_Is this true?" Elis angrily asked again, adding to the damage that Beryl had released, by tying the hands and feet of his kingly subjects by the threads of his rope-thick hair. _

"_It does not matter now, Elis… " Zoicite told him, trying his best to bear the torture of asphyxiation and strangulation. "However which way you turn it around, your reasoning is flawed."_

"_We can never submit to you, Elis…" Nephrite argued. "Our loyalty is to our Prince!"_

"_Our Prince… " Elis repeated, grinning contentedly at the brave shittenou struggling in front of him. "… Would you rather submit to a Prince that has weakened because of a simple thing as love than to me, your genuine protector?"_

"_I am even kind as to share in my power if you would only pledge your allegiance to me!!!" Elis shouted._

_Jadeite laughed, even as the rope of hairs blocked him from doing so easily. "We are not hypocrites, Elis…" he said. "But love has not weakened us. We would rather submit to such a Prince than to your betrayal!"_

"_We remain loyal only to Endymion," Kunzite said simply. _

_And those were the worst answers that Elis had not calculated to receive. He was sure that his plan would have worked. He was sure that he only had the best interest for his kingdom… in his own self-absorbed judgment. Beryl was quick to pounce on this vanity for she had chosen a subject that now triggered his own power to fill his allies with the dark power of Queen Metallia. _

_The dark power that Elis released was too great for all the shittenou to bear that one could hear the most terrifying screams of men in the darkness. _

"_This will be over soon, my friends…" Elis warmly reassured his shittenou amidst their screams. "It is … necessary."_

Nephrite was recovering from pain as he lay on the ground, grasping that latest memory.

Sailorjupiter got up and felt the heartbeat pound in her chest like the craziest drum, having just seen the same experience as Sailormoon and the rest.

"Sailorjupiter… quickly!" Sailormoon ordered in between gasps. She pointed to the_Hi _stone whose glow has dwindled as its owner lay unconscious.

Sailorjupiter quickly grabbed the _Hi_ stone and tearfully planted a kiss on Nephrite's forehead. Within a few seconds, the _senshi_ were able to teleport out of the cave and safely sailing in the starry skies above Earth away from danger… in the meantime.

"So … it is clear… " Sailormercury sighed, as she drifted above the Earth with the other _senshi_.

"They too were betrayed."

* * *

"_They too were betrayed."_

"_Kuso…._" he whispered angrily. "They know."

"You were saying something… Jadeite?"

He exhaled a bit before he calmly turned to face the once strong Kunzite, whose blank eyes now stared at him without an inkling of the revelation he had just received.

"We need to hurry," Jadeite told him, making sure that his own eyes exhibited the same dark determined stare as the rest of his compatriots. "I have a meeting with my father's publicists in an hour."

Kunzite chuckled. "You obviously will have no problem with the commute," he chided, raising both his palms in the air to remind Jadeite of their surroundings -- that which was the huge white expanse of the dark blue sky against the endless flat lands in the middle of the desert.

"I think Zoicite and Nephrite have already finished planting the dark metallic seeds that Prince Elis has given them," Kunzite said. And after which, he himself cast a dark crystal the size of baseball in his hand into the depths of the desert sands until it floated deep within, making the golden sands in its radius turned black.

Jadeite watched with enormous regret by this time, not only because he knew what damage that dark metallic seed would do, but also because he saw that the foremost general before him has completely succumbed to the Dark Kingdom once again.

He had at first, embraced his identity as one of the Dark Kingdom's allies, but his complete loyalty has been shaken by the effects of the surge of memories caused when he touched the Princess of Mars. And it also seems that Kunzite has not experienced that last memory that has happened just now.

Was he the only one who saw it -- how Elis and Beryl had converted them into allies by force way back in the past? Because… if this was true, then… then…

Then…

Then what? The dark powers within Jadeite absorbed most of him now that he saw that last memory blurring the details and it is taking so much more of his will to hold on to whatever he could muster of it.

"Shall we go, Jadeite?" Kunzite asked him formally, a sarcastic tone for having repeated it to him for the third time.

"Let us go," Jadeite replied coldly.

"It seems… that you have been attached to this incarnation of yours," Kunzite chided, looking down at the business suit that his comrade wore as against his own gray uniform and cape. "You will not need to pretend in a few days once the true prince of this kingdom has ascended." He meant that of Elis.

"I was too unlucky…" Jadeite replied, smugly and casually putting his hands into his suit's pockets. "I was reborn into a position that I could not leave easily unlike… most of you."

Jadeite took a few slow steps towards the burgeoning circle of black sands increasing in magnitude from the origin of the dark metallic seeds that Kunzite planted. "Besides, it is advantageous to our prince that I act as though nothing is happening," he casually reasoned, having his signature smirk once again.

Kunzite chuckled. "You do what you want to do," he answered coldly. "But I am sure that the prince has no problem letting the world know that he is back to reclaim his kingdom." Then he vanished like vapor cloning itself into the scene.

Jadeite took his right hand off his right pocket and opened his fist to reveal the last unplanted seed. Emanating a dim black in his hand, he regretfully stared at it for awhile to stall for a few moments on what he has decided to do.

"I'll see to it that you at least get a better fight from me than before…" he said, speaking in the most threatening voice to the seed in his hand.

"… Princess of Mars."

Then he wished himself vanished from the desert and back into his own private office in Japan's Parliament building. The first thing that caught Jadeite's eye was the pile of papers on his desk -- a mere two days of backlog that he needed to sign for his father's campaign. He huffed a sigh of disappointment. Life was certainly more difficult this time.

He took the old mobile phone in his hand and smiled. It is still there -- the memories of how that phone had fallen in the Sumida River. The memories were still very vivid… the fireworks, the photographers… the daughter of his father's political rival sitting in front of him.

The dark powers of Metallia had not yet fully eliminated all these memories because he can still return back the exact feelings he felt during that time. It was quite frightening… yet exciting. There was a thrilling sensation of triumph over that part where … he was able to keep her company all to himself.

The knock on the door immediately dispelled all that Jadeite was reminiscing because there were only two knocks and the visitor allowed himself inside his office immediately.

"It's good that you're back so soon," Nishida said curtly, adjusting the shades he wore to keep it from falling.

"I was here all along," Jadeite said. "You should've just knocked."

Nishida fished a key card out of his pocket and showed it to his young master. "It's because I am in charge of the Asano security," he said, raising his eyebrows. "I do not need to knock."

Jadeite coughed. "I must've been by my father's office--"

"--There is no need to explain," Nishida interrupted, walking closer to his master's desk. "Like I said, I am in charge of the Asano security so… I know everything."

Jadeite didn't flinch at the remark but Nishida had noticed the look his young master gave him. It was a curious kind.

"I have my ways," Nishida told him, and pointed to the security camera on top of the ceiling. "I am the only one who was lucky enough to see most of it though here and other places. But don't worry, I won't tell your father or your mother. Asano-dono is in high spirits right now that the Succession Bill was declined in his favor. We don't need weird news like you disappearing in thin air in and out of your office to distract him in any way."

Jadeite nodded. "That is indeed good news," he replied seriously, casually shifting to another topic. "Now it is clear to the rest of Japan as to who will be the new prime minister."

Nishida nodded. "It will all be over in a matter of days," he said. "Won't it?"

"_Hai_."

Nishida sighed. "I meant this new thing of yours. Whatever kind of magic it is… this is something very important, isn't it? That's why you have kept it a secret."

Jadeite gave a look at his ward and could see the worried look beneath Nishida's dark shades. He shot back a look… one of surrender. After all, it is good to know that there is someone else who knows his other identity, one who is not an enemy or comrade. For someone like him with chaotic loyalties lying in his heart, he needed someone neutral.

Nishida then understood with that look the despair and confusion within his young master and sighed. "What about _her_?" he asked.

Jadeite freely sunk on the sofa and controlling himself, he said, "It is… complicated, Nishida."

"It has always been complicated," Nishida smiled.

Jadeite nodded. "Then that is just how our destiny should run," he said with a smug smile.

"You're letting this magic run your life. That is not how an Asano would talk. Your father always says that he would run the destiny of Japan… and by that, he meant the best one."

"I cannot change my own. Like I have said, it is complicated."

"Of course you can. You are still an Asano, aren't you?" Nishida said forcefully with the volume of his voice rising. "You are still Kamui."

And then he was silenced immediately because Nishida has called him_Kamui_… For a moment there, it seemed alien to him because despite the darkness and the desire for his real prince to rise and claim this present kingdom, the sound of his own name, that of _Kamui_, made all the chaos inside him dissipate.

"I am … still Kamui…" spoke Jadeite, almost stuttering for a bit to reel back into his present incarnation. He then took out the mobile phone he dropped in the Sumida River and started pushing a few buttons.

"What are you doing now?" Nishida asked in surprise at his master's sudden change in behavior.

"I need a favor to ask of you, Nishida," _Kamui_ said, still frantically pushing the buttons on his mobile phone.

"Why can't you just say it?"

Jadeite chuckled. "Those involved in magic may be able to detect what I am trying to do, Nishida… " he said. "But it seems they cannot do anything much with the magic of this present world."

"So you are… saving the world by sending a text message?"

"I will not be the one to save the world, Nishida…" Jadeite sullenly told him. "I am sending you a message to ask of you a favor in case I … do not return again."

"Do not return?!" the pronouncement alarmed Nishida greatly. "You are an Asano. You do not go out just to be defeated! You--"

"--A favor, Nishida! Only a small favor…." Jadeite told him in the most serious, most commanding tone that implied complete and utter submission that any ward of the Asano would recognize.

Nishida then relented in silence, bowing low to his master to signify that he was there to listen and obey. "Whatever happens… I will forever support you," he proudly pronounced.

Jadeite shook his head. "If you think I will save the world, you are wrong, Nishida," he told him. "But do not worry."

Jadeite pressed the 'Send' button on his mobile phone and waited for the beep in Nishida's phone ensuring that his message had been received. He then turned his back on his ward to hide the overwhelming emotion that he can no longer fight within him to mask.

"I will make sure that _she_ will…"

* * *

_Juichigatsu. Juichinichi. November 11__th_

"The Amazon rivers have died and its jungles have all turned black…." Usagi muttered in disappointment as she looked at the images in Michiru's mirror talisman.

Michiru nodded. "We have also seen that most of the Artic continent has turned dark… possibly through Elis's power getting bigger," she said sadly. "But we just can't see who is doing this."

Haruka, Setsuna and Hotaru stood behind Michiru facing Usagi with Minako, Rei, Makoto and Ami behind her outside in the gardens of the hospital.

Haruka took a step forward and controlling herself, she said, "Princess… why can't we try and defeat Elis now?"

"We have to find the last _Hi_ stone," Usagi replied.

"I don't want to argue anymore, Princess… " Haruka told her. "But we are losing time. Elis's power is increasing! If we don't act now, he could revive the past Earth kingdom and wipe out this present time's existence and all that goes with it!"

"I have seen it too, Princess," Setsuna affirmed. "I was the one who told them about this phenomenon in the Time Gate. It was as if the past threads of time are being refracted to replace that of the present. Elis is trying to return his position to the time he was the heir to Endymion. That is why Luna and Artemis were able to return to their past forms in the Silver Millennium."

"Setsuna-san… you have gone through the Time Gate?" Usagi asked disappointedly.

Setsuna looked down in shame. "_Gomen nasai _for intruding without your permission_…_ my Queen," she apologized. "But there is no other way we can know what more about the enemy. Even Michiru and Hotaru's instruments cannot track him."

"All of them…." Haruka added.

"We need a little more time… to find the last Hi stone," Usagi said, her eyes pleading. "It is important to Mamo-chan… to Endymion! He wants to return the memories of the _shittenou_ now that he knows that they too were reborn in the same way as us!"

"But there was only one of us that was reborn! And not two!" Michiru contested. "Even when we have to transform back to our _senshi_ forms, it was still the same person! How can we be sure that we are saving the right _shittenou_?"

"The_Hi_ stone is the key to that," Makoto answered. "If we will return the _Hi_ stones to them, they will return back to Endymion and stop their allegiance to Elis."

"How sure are we of that happening?" Haruka asked. "You said that Elis himself filled their _Kage_ stones that Mamoru kept with more of his Dark Power and struck it straight into their hearts! He may have been completely controlling them!"

"The_Hi_ stones have kept their memories," Makoto defended. "It will return them back--"

"--We are not sure, Haruka-san…."

"_Nani_?" Makoto herself was surprised to find that none other than one of her allies in this regard have spoken.

The rest of the _senshi_ were surprised as well, but Rei was adamant in her new stand just one day ago when she herself stood in front to lead the fight against those who were against it.

"Haruka-san is right," Rei even added, much to the confusion of the inner_senshi_ the most. "We have seen Nephrite himself try to resist and destroy his own _Hi_ stone. There is indeed no guarantee."

"Rei-chan, you know that Elis himself will be the main hurdle against the_shittenou_ retrieving their memories back!" Makoto said defensively. "He must've been increasing his hold on Nephrite at that time to brainwash him into believing he is still under Beryl, but that doesn't mean that the _Hi_ stone is not enough to return his memories!"

"That is why I want to test it, Makoto," Rei stated curtly.

"_Nani_?!" Everyone exclaimed in surprise.

"I have a theory that maybe… the Hi stone can only work if its owner and the one they had entrusted it to is of one accord," Rei answered.

"You mean… we have to get Zoicite and the rest to work with us?" Ami asked in disbelief.

Rei nodded sullenly, trying to mask the uncertainty she was feeling.

"_Sou … _that is why Kunzite still wanted me to keep his _Hi_ stone even when he had a chance to take it back," Minako concluded, secretly delighted in her realization.

"That is true, _minna…._ but Elis would more than ever increase his hold on the _shittenou_," Setsuna told them. "He still has his hold on the _shittenou_and his powers on them may not enable the _shittenou_ to work with you!"

"That is true, Setsuna-san… that is why Rei-chan says she wants to test it," Minako answered, smiling weakly at her. "And I also want to do that."

"Minako-chan!!!" Michiru exclaimed in disbelief.

Haruka cannot herself anymore and protested, "But Elis is--"

"--something that you can take care of," Rei interrupted, forcing another round of surprise among all the _senshi_ at this sudden seeming shift of mind.

But Rei was again undeterred. "You are right, Haruka-san… it is about time that you now defend Princess Serenity by going with her to fight Elis," Rei calmly told her. "And leave us with these smaller battles."

"Leave the _shittenou_ to us."

Rei's last sentence seemed too heavy a pronouncement. It meant that the tide has shifted. Roles between them have been repositioned and the_ senshi_ would again be separated in battle. The last statement left a wary air in the cold wind, letting all the _senshi_ be still in unison and think about the consequences of the method that Rei proposed.

Minako was first to take a step towards Usagi and nodded to her. "I stand by Sailormars, Princess Serenity…." she said to her Princess. "We shall all be faithful … with your permission."

Makoto and Ami then stood behind Minako and Rei, and both looked with the same pleading glances at Usagi, who in the meantime, cannot help return a glassy stare. Usagi would almost be in tears by now had it not been for the fact that she also realized this method also seemed reasonable, given that aside from the chance of defeating Elis, it would also be a chance to retrieve Endymion's _shittenou_ back to his side.

But it was still with great reluctance that Usagi gave her nod of approval. "By tomorrow, we will all go and fight Elis," Usagi affirmed. "And we will leave the _shittenou _to you all, Mina-P! After all…"

Usagi turned to Rei and smiled, "… This is your fight."

"I-it is a risk to delay the battle to tomorrow, my Queen!" Setsuna stuttered to protest, seeing that not even Haruka dared to question.

Usagi nodded. "We can rest now and have better chances tomorrow when we're all filled with energy," she smiled, especially leaning towards Ami. "Besides, Ami-chan will still be able to find the _Hi_ stone by then."

Usagi then ran and immediately hugged Minako, Rei, Makoto and Ami tightly, trying to fight back tears. Yet as much as she could, Minako soon found her shoulders damp with them and rushed to hug her Princess back in return. Makoto and Ami too were gushing with emotion that they both tried to discreetly wipe away the tears from the corners of their eyes.

Only then did this kind of bond manifest itself to the rest of the senshi_--_Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru--standing by them. Of course, they were all the same _senshi_ but from the Silver Millennium to this present time, the Princess Serenity only shared this confident kind of intimacy with none other than Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Mercury. The fact was too that they were all now dealing with enemies from a past that involved only Serenity and her inner guardians.

Usagi was able to now pull herself away from Minako and the rest after a long time. "_Gambatte, minna_…." she said to them tearfully. "I promise a new day for all of us tomorrow as we fight Elis."

"You will not fight Elis, Usagi-chan," Minako said gently, smilling at her.

"You will _defeat_ him," added Rei, who smiled back at Usagi.

And so it is then, that before the final battle commences, that things manifested itself in these final minutes.

* * *

The outer _senshi_ slept very early to prepare themselves for the battle with Elis that should begin the next day at dawn. Usagi slept beside Mamoru's side with her hand on his chest, feeling and hearing her lover breathing better than before, and promising his enemy's defeat in his ear for the next day. 

Ami Mizuno, however, was found still sitting by the nearest park by herself. She was almost freezing as the night fell and the temperature dropped. It was an unlikely day in the coldest of the fall for her to be thinking to herself.

Rei had asked to help in finding Zoicite's _Hi_ stone to which Makoto and Minako also consented, but Ami feigned a cheerful response that they rest to continue the search the next day instead. And then Ami ran away from them, wishing to be alone instead.

That was probably how she wanted to cope this time… or at least for now because all her life, she used her mind to search for answers. Earlier, she had been thinking what might have been and what could have been. An expert in probabilities and logic herself and yet she could not even understand how she had let Soujirou pass in her life without knowing more of him. And she tried to analyze how she had noticed his alter-ego of V-Knight instead of the true friend that he was.

Right now, Ami Mizuno, probably the brightest undergraduate in Tokyo Tech just wanted to feel instead of think. It was because she only thought of what she was really feeling just now when it was all too late. Tears that had already welled up earlier with Usagi now gushed from her eyes that she cannot see clearly.

"Why are you crying, Mizuno-san?"

But Ami could only see 'his' figure in a haze from all the tears that still continued to fall. "Who are you… please?" she asked only to make sure because she had realized his voice but she did not know which one of Soujirou's egos would speak to her.

And true enough, Zoicite sat beside her on the bench and removed the red V-Knight mask on his face and gave her the sweetest, most sincere, lovestruck grin that only Soujirou would give. Thus it is by this that Ami smiled and recognized him immediately.

"I miss … my friend…." Ami confessed in the huskiest voice. "I have missed him terribly and I want him to return."

Zoicite tried to mask instead the deepening hurt in his chest as he fought the dark powers from entering his brain at that moment. The tears of his _senshi_ were thankfully powerful that it enabled him to hold on that entire moment to only long for the times he missed being by her side.

"He may have a different destiny, Mizuno-san…." Zoicite gently told her. "Your only part is to let him go."

"That is the problem… I just can't do that," Ami replied morosely. "I am doing my best so that I can return him. I will return to him his memories."

Zoicite paused and let his gaze linger at the most beautiful woman he has even seen, one maybe more beautiful than he was. If he can remember things vividly, it was those moments where he was trying to catch a good view of her in his digital camera … for his website. He had after had the best collection of Ami Mizuno's photos than all other fanboys in the chess club!

But more than that, here before him happened the very thing he had always wished for -- and Ami Mizuno wanted nothing more than to be by his side. And as fate would have it, Zoicite saw the last orange leaf fall to the ground to usher in a wind chill. Soft specks of white fell on Ami Mizuno's eyelashes and some stuck to the water of her tears in her cheeks. The first snow had fallen.

"Do not worry, Princess of Mercury…." Zoicite reassuringly told her, gently wiping the snow that fell on the tears on her cheek with his index finger.

Ami felt his hands feel warm and light did shine from it as Zoicite held a shining stone in his hand. "You said you will do your best," Zoicite warmly told her and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I know you will keep your promise."

As the snow came rushing down in trickles however. Zoicite disappeared in the same tempo that the snow fell, leaving Ami alone in the park bench holding the last _Hi_ stone in her hand.

* * *

The first snow that lingered in the park also fell in Hikawa Jinja. Phobos and Deimos caught the white drops of gentle ice on their hand and sensed a new awakening on its arrival. 

They called out to their Princess with this news and immediately, Rei stepped out with Jadeite's _Hi_ stone tucked in her _hakama_, like a prized possession. Drops of snow fell on her hair and on her eyelashes and it was then she felt a new kind of warmth emanating from the _Hi_ stone that she carried.

"It is here…" Rei said softly, taking out the Hi stone from her _hakama_. "The last _Hi_ stone has been found."

The discovery triggered a gift. The luminescence of the _Hi_ stone overpowered her surroundings in an instant and Rei soon discovered that she was in a hazier scene of royal columns and marble floors where the Earth floated hugely in the starry sky to illuminate its day.

Rei anxiously waited to walk in these same marble steps -- the same steps that were eerily familiar to her. The steps lead her to a wondrous commotion outside in the main hall of the Lunar Castle where everyone had gathered and where the huge fanfare was.

But before she could get through the main hall, she had almost bumped into a young gentleman in the corridor. His huge cape was in the way but luckily, he could not see her. This was the first time Rei actually found her Kamui to be his handsomest, all regally standing in his flowing cape that was attached to his gray uniform by a red jewel symbolizing his office.

But this face of his was not the same one she had seen recently because Jadeite never appeared to her in this way. His eyes were not coldly staring at her, but it gleaned beautifully as he saw the Earth hovering above as he smiled dreamily about it.

The Jadeite in front of Rei was not the same of course, because this was in fact, a memory.

- tsuzuku -

* * *

**chiisai noto:**

Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) Ooh! Did you like the catfight? ;) I wanted Rei to say, "So what? Are you going to make Sailorsaturn go and destroy the world again?" But that would've been too sarcastic and too out of character, I think. :) If you're a Silver Millennium fan, the next chapter is for you… although, I really want to get back to the present time and… prefer to resolve things there instead. ;)


	21. 19: Destiny

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 19 - Destiny**

**Jisho/Dictionary:  
DAIJOUBU…** It's alright!  
**GOMEN NASAI…** I'm sorry  
**HAI…** Yes  
**HI stones… **Stone of light  
**HIDOI**… Cruel  
**KAGE stones… **Stones of shadow / darkness  
**MASAKA…**No way  
**MINNA…** Everyone  
**SENSHI**… Soldier / Warrior  
**SHITTENOU**… Four heavenly kings. In this case, Jadeite, Kunzite, Zoicite, Nephrite  
**YAMETE! … **Stop!

**In the Previous Chapter:**

Mamoru has told the _senshi_ that Elis was the proclaimed heir of his kingdom on Earth during the time of the Silver Millennium. Elis however thought that since his Prince had broken the alliance by having an affair with the Princess of the Moon, he would not be the next heir and so launched a rebellion with Queen Beryl by brainwashing the _shittenou._

The_senshi_however are still bent on getting the _Hi_ stones to return the _shittenou_ to Endymion's side. They met the outer _senshi_ in opposition to this plan. Sailormoon has interfered in this quarrel and sided with the guardian _senshi_ to use the Silver Crystal in order to teleport to find the _Hi_ stones. When Sailorjupiter has found Nephrite's _Hi_stone, Nephrite himself surprisingly appeared to destroy it.

In the meantime, Elis has successfully increased his hold on the_shittenou_ and made them plant different seeds of his dark power in key points in the world. Jadeite tried his best to work out his his life as Kamui Asano but still cannot keep it secret under the watchful eye of Nishida. He then asked his faithful bodyguard for a favor.

Ami Mizuno soon found herself missing her friend, Soujirou and when he did appear as Zoicite, he bequeathed to her his _Hi_ stone under the first snow falling in Tokyo. The discovery of the final _Hi_stone triggered a memory where Rei soon found herself back in the castle of the Silver Millennium face to face with a then gentler Jadeite.

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

* * *

Rei crept closer and closer so that she could see Jadeite clearly and find out what he was looking at. She was tiptoeing towards him, careful not to make a sound. Jadeite however, turned towards her so that she found her nose almost touching Jadeite's chest.

"Oh no…." she muttered, breathing anxiously and resisting the urge to exclaim at the knowledge of her discovery.

Jadeite took a moment and looked down at her. He looked straight at her with the gentlest eyes and he smiled at her… before he walked past_through_ her.

Overcoming mixed feelings of shock and relief, Rei breathed a sigh and looked past the pillars where the Earth shone over the gardens of the Silver Millennium. She had a quick remembrance on these gardens and how she felt at peace over the view of the Earth whenever she walked on these gardens. But it was strange that she was able to reminisce her own memories of the Silver Millennium through another as this was of course… _Jadeite's memory._

_Jadeite was walking towards the main hall to be introduced with his Prince, Prince Endymion of Earth, along with his other generals in the ball that Queen Serenity held to show the strength of the alliance. _

_The events skidded immediately after that. Artemis was instructed to introduce all the princesses of Queen Serenity's realm to all the guests of the kingdom and he had done so after he had introduced the party of Prince Endymion, who had now positioned themselves near the base of the grand stair case. Each of Endymion's guardians took one step below their Prince. _

_Nephrite was the only one who expressed impatience among them while the rest of his contemporaries exhibited their formal bearing at this occasion. Zoicite had earlier said that he can hold any kind of pretense as long as the rewards would be better later… meaning as long as he can interact with as many women as possible. Kunzite was being himself, patiently standing by his Prince. Jadeite stood one step below him and was entirely indifferent to these events. He certainly had no expectations until the very first introduction._

_That was the Princess of Mars. _

Rei realized that it was her very own self walking down the grand staircase in the Silver Millennium. She was magnificently dressed in a long red empire-waisted gown with a fitted mermaid's silhouette. How she was able to walk down what seemed like a million steps wearing a magnificent yet incredibly long dress down those staircase was something she couldn't figure out. She also cannot seem to remember this event. Maybe it was not of huge importance.

But it certainly seemed to be of genuine importance to Jadeite because right now. Rei was within the environment of Jadeite's _Hi_stone and she could not only see the memories he had stored but _how_ he had chosen to remember them. Right now, she could see that everything in this particular memory literally seemed to slow down so much so that she could see her previous incarnation walk down the steps as though one walks under water -- her hair drifted in the wind where every strand waved in the motion of every single step and that impossibly long yet magnificent dress of hers flowed back from her waist and gloriously down her figure.

_Yet the Princess of Mars never even looked at Jadeite or any of the Prince's entourage. She was interested in taking her position down the marble steps of the grand staircase while the other princesses were introduced. She stayed at the bottom of the steps opposite Zoicite and waited until the Princesses of Mercury, Jupiter and Venus joined her. The grandest introduction was for the Princess of the Moon._

It was only briefly that the memory lingered here.

Rei found herself in a different place in the Palace. It was a smaller hall where Queen Serenity, Princess Serenity and all of the _senshi_ had reclined for the moment. The music and the dancing can still be heard from here.

"_How is our banquet?" Queen Serenity inquired. Her daughter, the younger Serenity giggled behind her._

"_It was perfect as usual, Your Majesty," the Princess of Mars answered. "It shows the solidarity of our alliance with the Earth and we have found them to be good ambassadors. I am confident in your rule to keep this alliance to rule forever."_

Even Rei was shocked at hearing herself speak this kind of hasty prediction… now that she knew her past incarnation was wrong.

_Queen Serenity raised her eyebrows in wonder and then laughed. "You don't have to be formal right now, my dear Princess of Mars!" she chided gently. "It is just us right now! What I want to know is how you have all enjoyed the ball?"_

_The Princess of Mars was shocked and embarrassed. "W-well… it was good, I think…" she stuttered to say._

_The Princess of Jupiter giggled as well. "I had fun for sure, Your Majesty," she said. "I have met some interesting people. Please do not worry about the Princess of Mars… she will warm up to this later on." The Princess of Jupiter meant that last statement to be reassuring and had said it with motherly concern… whether or not the Princess of Mars chose to appreciate it at that moment._

"_I have gone out and met a couple of men myself, but…" The Princess of Mercury yawned. "… None of them are interesting. General Zoicite has even come to ask me for a dance but I have seen that he has been… around too much."_

"_Does this mean you have actually mingled with the ambassadors from Earth?" Princess Serenity asked, with wide-eyed innocence._

"_A bit, yes…" The Princess of Mercury said, smiling confidently. "The Prince of Earth is quite the gentleman… we should all meet him. I shouldn't be the only one doing all the entertaining!"_

Rei's mouth was agape at this point. She was shocked to see that Ami-chan's previous incarnation was… quite the opposite of her present self? Phobos and Deimos were right!

_Queen Serenity laughed. "That is right, my dear Princess of Mercury," she smiled cheerfully. "What about the Princess of Venus? Anything interesting?"_

"_General Kunzite and I just talked about … general things," the Princess of Venus smiled, but her voice was serious. "It was good to know their intentions and be acquainted with their customs."_

"_Hmm… do not worry about your duty for now, my child. I want you all to enjoy this day!" Queen Serenity scolded cheerfully. _

"_B-but--" The Princess of Venus protested._

"_--Uh-uh…" Queen Serenity waved her index finger to indicate "no" and had done so with a smile on her face. "You have all been faithful guardians of me and my daughter. Today is not a cause for worry because our alliance with the Earth will last… today should be a day that you must all enjoy and remember. Let today be different!"_

_All the princesses nodded in appreciation, with the Princess of Mercury and Jupiter accepting it with more cheer. _

"_In fact… I have an order," Queen Serenity winked. "You must all dance with our royal guests!"_

"_What?" the Princess of Mars asked. Her voice was soft but this was in protest._

"_Very well," said the more agreeable Princess of Mercury._

"_If any of them asks you to dance, you must never refuse them," Queen Serenity said. "Our alliance prohibits our citizens from uniting in a covenant with each other, but that doesn't mean we should not be acquainted! After all, this alliance is based on balance of our powers and of friendship."_

"_This… sounds like a good idea!"_

_Jadeite was shocked to hear another voice beside him and Zoicite was all too encouraged to laugh for startling his friend's amateur spying techniques. At this time, Zoicite had not known that this would be a skill that Beryl would efficiently use of Jadeite… in his next incarnation many years and the next lifetime later. _

"_You were here this entire time?" Jadeite asked. _

"_Not this entire time…" Zoicite said, barely recovering from his laughter. "Just the good part where our good Queen gave her order to her senshi. It's just amusing how you can hear them from this distance even with all the music playing and you were there spying on them all this time!" Zoicite laughed again._

"_Be quiet, Zoicite!" Jadeite commanded, irritant at being chided._

"_Very well," Zoicite smugly replied. "I will then take the challenge onto myself instead… as this is an order."_

"_What kind of order?" spoke Nephrite, who had just come to join his two other comrades at the right time._

"_The Queen of the Silver Millennium has just instructed her senshi not to refuse us should we ask them to dance!" Zoicite stated cheerfully. "Jadeite has had the pleasure of hearing the rest of the details."_

"_That was all there is," Jadeite quickly added. "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time."_

_Nephrite chuckled. "The right place at the right time is the right phrase for it!" he agreed cheerfully. "It seems that our friend Zoicite here is ready to pounce on any willing senshi. They are women after all."_

_Zoicite shook his head with a devious smile. "What do you think of me, good Nephrite? An opportunist?"_

"_Yes!" Jadeite and Nephrite said in unison, with Nephrite smiling at that._

_Zoicite laughed. "I have become too familiar with you both and it is unhealthy for me to be that with men!" he said. "So I'll take my chances with women. And not just women… the senshi themselves!"_

"_Be careful, Zoicite," Nephrite warned. "Our alliance prohibits--"_

"_--It is just a dance! What harm can it do?" Zoicite spoke confidently, throwing a soft punch at Jadeite's arm, and strode towards the dance floor. _

"_It's a good thing that Kunzite isn't here or there will be another reckoning with his cleverest general," Nephrite remarked. "You look so serious, Jadeite. Is there anything bothering you?"_

_Jadeite shook his head. "My lands in the Far East are under the guardianship of Elis himself… there is nothing to worry about," he answered seriously. "I am completely focused on tonight."_

_It was Nephrite's turn to laugh. "You still sound like you are on duty!" he chided. "Maybe we should all be like Zoicite and take advantage of the situation!"_

_Jadeite smiled. "Why not?"_

_Nephrite raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Very well then… it looks like the Queen has released all her senshi," he said, pointing to the party of Queen Serenity and her entourage, who had just stepped out to the main hall. "Who shall it be?"_

_The princesses all stepped out with the crowd listlessly surrounding them in awe as their presence seemed to brighten up the place. It seems however that their Prince had already curtsied towards the Princess of the Moon and had taken up the formality of his acquaintance. He had asked Princess Serenity to dance and the daughter of the Moon was first to be swept away by an Earthen ambassador, unknowingly initiating to a position that would change the history of the Silver Millennium forever._

"_It seems that Kunzite too had gotten wind of this opportunity," Nephrite mischievously remarked, seeing that Kunzite had approached the Princess of Venus and they both saw her later walking with the general._

_The reason for Kunzite and the Princess of Venus were strictly that of duty and business. For today at least. _

"_Who shall it be, Jadeite?" Nephrite asked impatiently. _

_Jadeite remained silent, still rehearsing in his mind a series of invitations and had not yet selected the best one. _

"_Ask her now, Jadeite… don't spend too much time thinking," advised Nephrite, patting him on the back to reassure him. _

_And with a twinkle in his eye, Nephrite continued, "Ask her now! Or I will."_

_Although Nephrite was only mimicking to make a step, Jadeite had held his arm so tight to stop Nephrite from going over and taking the opportunity before he did. Jadeite did walk slowly towards where the other senshi stood, taking his time to still pick a few choice phrases in his head, which would best impress 'her.' Nephrite stayed behind to watch. He would later go on and ask the Princess of Jupiter, who he would be acquainted to by chance when he later accidentally bumps into her. For now though, Nephrite wanted to see how the most serious of Earthen generals could actually do it._

_Jadeite never backed down from a challenge before and Jadeite was known throughout Endymion's realm as a very focused and decisive general. And although many women in his Far Eastern dominions adored him, none of these relationships prospered past admiration. It would be nice to know how he would take time to be more spontaneous at something. _

_But Jadeite even at this point, was never spontaneous. From the moment the princesses of the Silver Millennium were introduced, he had already made a decision and by this time that he was walking towards all these senshi, he had already determined that he would be acquainted with one of them. The only spontaneous event here was that he did not predict that this seemingly harmless gesture would lead to change the destiny of the Silver Millennium. But to Jadeite's credit, Endymion nor Queen Serenity knew it either._

_By the time Jadeite reached the remaining three princesses though, a couple had whisked their swaying arms in front of him and delayed him for just that one crucial moment._

"_I would like to humbly ask on this occasion for your company to take this dance with me," Jadeite saw and heard Zoicite curtsey to the senshi. "It would be an honor… Princess of Mars."_

_It was only when the Princess of Mars took Zoicite's hand that Jadeite felt his ego be bitterly bruised. His only consolation was that he knew that she was doing this for an order for he was sure that nothing could come out of any acquaintance with a player like Zoicite._

The scene already shifted for Rei. She had not seen the brief moment in Jadeite's memory where he was decisive enough not to dance with any other _senshi_ that night. She was aware of that small moment of jealousy though, even if that jealousy for Zoicite was unfounded for Zoicite at that time had only done that to spite the Princess of Mercury and the Princess of Mercury actually took a small offense within her as not to be asked.

When the scene shifted however, Rei saw herself in the same hall in the Moon Palace but without the festivities or music. The whole place was empty and cold without people, leaving its beautiful marble floors pristine enough to be untarnished but flat. She roamed around the Moon Palace and found, among its many porticos, the tryst that caused the Silver Millennium's downfall -- Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion in each other's arms under the Earthen light.

But this is not her predestined scene although it was now clear to her that even Jadeite knew of this illegal affair. Rei had effortlessly wandered into another empty portico where a pedestal stood. Then she saw her past incarnation as the Princess of Mars, entering the portico and standing there with the saddest pair of eyes, raised her hand towards the pedestal and released fire upon it. This, Rei remembered, was a symbol of her kingdom of Mars and was a lighted device while she stayed in the main palace of the Silver Millennium.

"_What are you doing here?" asked the Princess of Mars, while still staring straight into her fire._

_That minute, Jadeite walked out of the shadows as though he had slipped through a slit of empty space and stood behind the Princess of Mars. He was not slow to realize that the Princess of Mars has some sort of clairvoyant gift but he was actually banking on being detected. _

"_It's too late for a walk, isn't it?" Jadeite chided, smiling._

And it was then that Rei recognized the same signature clever smirk from her Kamui.

"_You should stop coming here uninvited, Your Majesty," she told him seriously. _

"_Your Majesty?" Jadeite was surprised. _

_The Princess of Mars nodded. "Aren't you the King of the Far East?" _

_Jadeite chuckled. "Of course…" he said. "You can call me anything you want then."_

_The Princess of Mars sighed. "What is it you need, Your Majesty?"_

"_It's a simple thing," he answered seriously. "I would like to have this honor of asking you to dance with me."_

_Her mouth was agape in surprise. "The banquet for our formal introduction was last week. Isn't this invitation too late?"_

"_No," Jadeite answered simply. _

"_No?" The Princess of Mars winced in bewilderment. _

_Jadeite just shook his head and looking straight at her, said, "It is not too late." _

_Rei huffed indignantly. "How can you be this persistent?" she said. "Can you really be smitten by just one look?"_

_Jadeite actually resented that remark but aside from having an ego to protect, he wanted to know where all this insensitivity was coming from so he chose to venture further. "You're right on one thing, Your Highness," he calmly agreed. "Everyone who saw you walk down those stairs for the first time were already smitten on the first look."_

"_It cannot be helped," Jadeite continued, looking straight at her without any pretenses. "When you walked down those stairs, you commanded your beauty in every stride. No one could be safe from it."_

_Jadeite paused. "But all you could return to them was your indignant stare, just like the one you are having now. So when the rest of the princesses came and saw the playfulness of the Princess of Mercury, the warm comforting aura of the Princess of Jupiter, the sweet and dignified Princess of Mercury and the gentleness of the Princess of the Moon… they shifted their attention to them because their presence became more comforting."_

_Jadeite looked sharply at her, completely sure that he has made his point clear. "I may have been like the rest of the crowd, instantly smitten from the very first moment I saw you," he told her. _

"_But I was the only one who held on till the last."_

Rei was as touched as her past incarnation and became entirely speechless. It was only now that she recognized the decisive and romantic Kamui in this Jadeite.

_This was the first time the Princess of Mars felt something tug in her chest for the same time. She never understood the concept of how strong a heart would start beating when someone had begun to matter. _

"_It is…" the Princess of Mars began, trying to break the awkward silence. "It is… not safe to go beyond acquaintances…." _

_Jadeite completely understood what she meant but he was also feeling the triumph of disarming such a proud princess. Yet he felt that he would be deluding himself more if he passed this small window of opportunity and he knew himself. He had already decided. _

_Jadeite went two steps closer to her and offering his hand towards her, said, "I am only asking you to dance with me, Princess."_

"_Now?" The Princess of Mars asked in disbelief._

_Jadeite nodded. And waited._

_He waited for about two minutes before the Princess of Mars decided to actually raise her hand and put her hand upon his. She was very sure that he could hear her heart thump loudly as he gently pushed her closer to him. But Jadeite did not even have the pleasure of seeing her cheeks burn as his cheek gently touched hers. _

_There was no music and no crowd. Only the huge Earthen star in the background accounted for the beauty of the surroundings. It was all enough to Jadeite for this night has written a destiny for him._

"What are you thinking, Jadeite?"

Rei turned behind her to see that the _Hi_ stone has shifted the entire scene to what seemed like the same palace. However, as she went past the drapes, she saw that blue skies and white clouds hovering about the shining sun and realized that she was in a chamber of Endymion's Earthen palace where the four _shittenou_ were engaged in an interesting conversation. This would have been a similar snapshot of what the four of them usually did in Kamui's living room in Tokyo of the present time.

"_Nothing much," Jadeite candidly answered Nephrite's question._

_Nephrite nodded. "The moon shines faintly in the daytime," he told Jadeite nonchalantly. "You cannot see them from this distance as well."_

_Jadeite smiled. "You're right," he said, admitting to Nephrite's implications._

"_You should not worry much, Jadeite!" Zoicite said confidently. "Women like the game of the chase as much as we do, that is why they play hard to get!"_

"_Yours is playing hard to get?" Nephrite laughed. _

_Zoicite nodded. "She is coy with every man but me," he said, yawning. "I just want her to know that I am not oblivious to her antics!"_

"_Ahh… but she has managed to get most of your attention!" Nephrite continued to taunt. "At least now, there has only been one woman to occupy your concentration!"_

_Everyone laughed at that except Zoicite, who scowled at the remark. "Let me remind you that I am the only one in charge, Nephrite!" Zoicite said defensively. "At least one of us has progress with their woman!"_

_None of them spoke of names when it has come to this conversation and it has now become some sort of open secret especially when they all know that their own Prince Endymion has spent his time on the Moon for its Princess._

_Zoicite, for instance, had lived up to his Earthen reputation on the Moon for his natural charm on women, but one that did not work on the Princess of Mercury. The Princess of Mercury was as wily with men as Zoicite had been with women for both were their planet's strategists in battle and off battle. So now they had been engaged in a game of wiles and wits that they have actually enjoyed but not yet openly admitted._

_Nephrite had none to confess for what he has established with the Princess of Jupiter was none other than a friendship. Never mind that the group interactions has lessened to give way to more private conversations to this ever growing friendship. _

_Kunzite had remained silent at this point. He had established his warning about the alliance's restrictions earlier on even with his Prince. But even he had no reason to remind them of this warning for he himself was enjoying the official talks with the Princess of Venus. _

"_Suit yourself to that belief, Zoicite," Nephrite replied, smiling as he looked at each of his comrades. "But you shouldn't chide Jadeite for his misfortune. It is not his fault!"_

_Jadeite laughed. "It is not called misfortune, Nephrite. This has nothing to do with luck!" he said to them. _

"It has to do with choice," Rei whispered and sighed because she knew what Jadeite had meant. But then, she can't understand why Jadeite was laughing at that.

This she would understand in the later scene that his _Hi_stone will bring her.

_Jadeite was running as fast as he could down the halls of Endymion's castle on Earth. _

"_Jadeite… what is--?"_

_And only Elis, who at this time, had his red hair grown only up to his shoulders and with the most worried eyes can make Jadeite skid to a halt. _

"_--I am sorry, my Lord," Jadeite said in a rush, giving Elis a low bow and getting onto his head start to run. "I just need to attend to some… important things in my realm."_

_Even if Elis had wanted to probe further, Jadeite had already ran far off. He then looked past the huge window in those halls where it was night and a bright full moon shone up ahead. _

Rei wondered if this was the first time Elis had suspected given the vagueness of Jadeite's answer. But like her….

_Elis was bewildered at this point at what Jadeite is so frantic about. Yet this was still a position where he felt that he was secure with his position. _

_Jadeite had run into Endymion's gardens and after cautiously looking around to note that no one was present, he had wished himself teleported to where he had wanted to be so that second later, Jadeite opened his eyes to see two full moons looming overhead… clearly not his own realm in the Far East of Earth._

_This was not a place he usually frequented but it looked like Jadeite knew exactly where he was going. This palace was built like all other palaces in the Silver Millennium with its great Roman pillars and marble floors, only that there were small bright furnaces at almost every side post of every entrance. _

_Jadeite entered a huge corridor and pulled back the red curtains that enclosed the entrance._

This was where Rei felt different. She still didn't know where Jadeite was in this memory but she felt the strangest thing in her mind.

There were many images and the images became more and more vivid as she watched Jadeite step in closer and closer to the end of that corridor. These were images she had seen before -- of Beryl walking on the grounds of the Silver Millennium with an invading army… Queen Serenity… Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion's discovery… of a huge fire… and four dark unknown figures standing behind an enemy.

It was too hard to digest all these images at once. Rei was gasping from exhaustion by attempting to do so that she fell on her knees from weakness.

It was only when she saw Jadeite open the final red curtain that she realized where this was coming from because she saw herself, her past self dressed in a red flowing gown standing in front of a very huge fire even bigger than the one in her meditation room in Hikawa Jinja.

_Jadeite realized that he had probably arrived too late. The Princess of Mars seemed too lost in her trance that she had stood there gasping and wheezing from exhaustion without knowing that her consciousness would soon fail._

Rei wanted to cry from all the pain dealt on by this weakness and it was now that she realized what Jadeite had been running towards. She was feeling the exact intensity of the visions that her past self was receiving.

_Jadeite ran again as the Princess of Mars fell backwards in a swoon. And this time, he had arrived by her side at the right moment because the Princess of Mars missed hitting her head on the marble floors and instead fell right into Jadeite's arms. _

The pain had stopped. Everything around Rei turned black.

She saw a small fire had been lit and then another. She got her strength back to follow this path where the furnaces showed the way to where Jadeite stood by a balcony where two more familiar faces -- her own guardians, Phobos and Deimos, was facing him. Behind the curtains of that balcony, she saw her own self, sleeping soundly in that room.

"_It must be hard, isn't it?" Deimos asked candidly. "To not have your affection returned?"_

_Jadeite laughed. "What do you mean?" he asked them. _

_Phobos tugged at her sister's arm but Deimos didn't heed this warning. "It is not your fault," Deimos continued, smiling reassuringly. "She is the Oracle of the Silver Millennium and Queen Serenity relies on her visions. That is the reason why she has forever pledged her chastity to Queen Serenity."_

_Jadeite looked at Deimos intently and said nothing. _

"_But she has spoken about you with the highest regard!" Deimos added cheerfully. "Which I'm sure that she meant--"_

"_--She meant it with great respect," Phobos interrupted her sister nervously before anything irrational could be said. _

_Jadeite nodded and after taking a quick glance at the two moons that hovered on Mars, he could help himself and grinning, he asked, "What about me has she talked to you about?"_

"_Phobos… Deimos…"_

_Phobos and Deimos scampered immediately behind their Princess as soon as she appeared behind the curtain. Jadeite gave a short bow as soon as she appeared and was disappointed that she of all people, would interrupt this interesting conversation. _

"_Please leave me for now… I shall call you on later," commanded the Princess of Mars to which her two guardians obeyed instantly. _

_Jadeite was happy and relieved to see that the Princess of Mars was awake and had overcome the intensity of her visions. He smiled at her despite her sad countenance facing him. _

"_I want to thank you for saving me," she told him directly. "Even though you did not have to."_

"_I have to," Jadeite tritely replied with an equal frankness. _

_The Princess of Mars sighed. "I hope it is clear that I have not imposed anything--"_

"_--If you did not mean your thanks, you should have just not said anything," Jadeite sharply interrupted, unafraid to shoot an irritant look at her. "Because I cannot undo it even if you want me too."_

_The Princess of Mars looked at him remorsefully and waited a few awkward minutes of silence to compose the most tactful words to say in her mind. _

"_I guess I want you to undo it… even if I am very grateful that you have saved me," she told him uneasily. _

_Jadeite felt his heart sink to its lowest at this blatant rejection. "It is too late for that," he said softly and managing a weak smile. "I would have you alive even though you are so confusing, so even if it can be undone, I still would not do it."_

_The Princess of Mars could not understand this kind of optimism he had towards her. But then, none of the shittenou also did. _

"_But tell me, Princess… where is all this coming from?" Jadeite asked, changing to a sharp tone this time. _

"_Where is--?"_

_Jadeite shook his head in disappointment. "This coldness… this confusing attitude… " he told her bluntly. "I have received both intimidation and attraction, coldness and gratitude… discontent and agreement from you!"_

_Silence. _

"_If it were clear, you would have only shown one or the other… unless you are this cruel," Jadeite pointedly said. _

"_No, I do not wish to be cruel. It is just our destiny," she answered weakly. _

"_Destiny? We are in charge of our destinies," he told her._

_She shook her head. "People have tried to overturn their destinies and failed," she said sadly. "I know because I have seen it."_

"_Have you seen mine?" _

_The Princess of Mars nodded. She walked towards him till she was close enough for her to draw close and whisper, "We are to be enemies."_

"_Enemies?" Jadeite repeated to ask, barely recovering from the shock of hearing her candidly tell him. But as he had held tightly onto her such that her cheek was still pressed against his for her to whisper it to him, Jadeite could not see the sadness in her eyes. _

_This was okay for the Princess of Mars. She did not wish for him to see her this vulnerable. It is already enough that she already told him her vision because no one else, not even Queen Serenity, knew of this secret. _

_But then, the Princess of Mars heard Jadeite chuckle and feeling her arms released from his grasp, pulled back to verify that he was indeed smiling. _

"_That explains it all!" Jadeite said, laughing in response to her bewildered look. _

_She still did not understand it. _

"_Why you were inconsistent towards me!" Jadeite continued, grinning at her. _

_She exhaled quickly, an attempt at concealing her surprise. It is not like her to admit anything and she never will. Not yet… she thought… and it would indeed not be so until a hundred years till she was reborn. _

_This extremely guarded stance of hers though captivated every single sense in Jadeite. For him, this revelation was enough. He had already decided. _

_He took her hand and held it with both of his hands. His eyes were upon her with a look that is more determined than hopeful or awestruck. No mist of infatuation were in them, just complete honesty. _

"_It is not true that we cannot change our destinies, Princess of Mars," Jadeite told her. "If it were up to me, I would have no other destiny than to have you by my side."_

"_I am going to change our destinies because I am going to save you."_

The last line of his reverberated in her ears constantly. Rei thought that this was a line she had heard from a movie or from a dream. Too good to be true, yet it would much of a waste if it were not to be believed.

Jadeite had much to prove and his _Hi_stone was quick to reveal it. Rei saw Jadeite now in an unknown dark expanse of space before the other _shittenou_ and the _Hi_ stone had taken her to a scene where it would first reveal itself being held by its owner.

_The Hi stone floated in Jadeite's hand and its glow mesmerized him as he continued to reminisce from the very moment that his princess walked down the marble staircase. _

"_It is working already?" Zoicite asked happily, as he held his own Hi stone in his hand. _

_Nephrite nodded. "It would seem that Jadeite has already gone ahead of us," he laughed, staring at his own Hi stone in his hand. "I thought that we would all be doing this at the same time."_

"_We should not waste any more time," Kunzite declared, holding his Hi stone with both hands like the most delicate thing he had owned. "Before Beryl or Elis finds us."_

"_And before they take full charge of us," Jadeite added sadly, looking away from his Hi stone careful not to charge it with his dark memories._

_Zoicite nodded. "Metallia's energy within me is too strong," he said. "I just know that I will unleash something terrible."_

"_Bite your tongue in saying it, Zoicite!" Kunzite scolded. "That destructive being roaring to get out of you is not you! Nor is those present inside of us what we truly are!"_

"_Well, whatever it is… it is successfully taking a lot more of me than I wanted!" Zoicite argued helplessly._

"_It is what Beryl wanted, do you remember?" Nephrite gently warned him. "She has played on our resentment towards our prince for having broken the alliance. We could have stood by his side and fought with him as our prince but… we have entertained the concern of him abandoning us instead."_

"_It is too late for that, Nephrite. Beryl has played on our weakness and she is using our anger to fuel this dark power within us," Jadeite said. "But we know our true selves and who we are loyal to."_

_Kunzite nodded. "While these bodies are still in our power, let these Hi stones capture all our true memories and therefore our true essence," he said. "When the time comes, we will again meet our Prince and let these stones forge us the memory of our loyalty to him."_

_Kunzite then carefully raised his Hi stone and smiling upon it, he said, "When the time comes, I promise that I will not let duty be in the way of our friendship." _

"_I never thought that I could entrust all my memories to just one woman," Zoicite grinned as he spoke. "But I promise to you that the next time we meet, I will always let you win."_

_Nephrite sighed. "It does not need to be said," he said, smiling at his Hi stone. "But I will continue what I've always done -- you will be my main interest."_

_And Jadeite still fully mesmerized with locking in his final memory of his princess falling into his arms even as she received her saddest vision, promised to her to whom he would entrust his Hi stone. _

"_I am going to change our destinies because I am going to save you."_

The last she had heard of it was when the scene in front of her was interrupted by the fire. This was a fire that she had caused hundreds of years ago.

_It reverberated in her ears like a gentle echo which changed her feelings into something hopeful even for that brief moment where she remembered him standing in her balcony uttering that same promise. _

_Yet here he stands in front of her with the same determined look that he had given her but she could sense that the spirit of this same one who uttered this same promise was absent. Why didn't he listen? Didn't she tell him that people who tried to overturn their destinies fail? Wasn't revealing to him her vision a warning? Why did he try to confront it instead of accepting it? _

_Maybe if he had accepted her vision, it would not be this hard. She would not have to face him on the battlefield. _

"_I am going to change our destinies because I am going to save you."_

_And even as it echoed in her ears, that is what it will all remain to be because if he had done what he had promised, he would not be walking past the fire today to face her. He would not be this determined to destroy her and everyone she loved. _

Rei could see Jadeite past the fire and standing in front of her. She could feel the roar of her own flames that she had warned him not to cross burning the edges of her clothes as it did hundreds of years ago. She could see the incensed look in his eyes that were reserved only for her.

How is it that this vision wishes to appear again for the third time? Why is the _Hi_ stone this cruel to reveal the fine details of his last memory where he instead chose to betray her instead of doing what he has promised? Wasn't the _Hi_ stone only supposed to bring in their good memories in the Silver Millennium?

Yet here it was showing her for the fourth time the very capacity of how a dark general brainwashed by Beryl is going to strike that Rei could understand the defensive stance of her own persona hundreds of years ago.

She could not help the tears that fell down her cheeks but this was all enough. Repeating this painful experience was unnecessary. She could have no more of it.

"_Yamete!!_" she commanded angrily, clenching both fists tightly as she stood.

At that instant, Rei fell down on her knees feeling the wind chill of the first snow blow on her cheeks. Phobos and Deimos dressed in their Shinto _kimonos_ rushed to their Princess's side as she genuflected on the ledge, still gritting her teeth in anger and tears streaming down her cheeks.

Rei saw Jadeite's _Hi_ stone as it lay glowing on the ledge bitterly reminding her that it had repeated that last memory for the third time. But at least it had forced her to a decision that she would no longer have this happen again.

"The time has come, Phobos… Deimos…" Rei told them, picking up the_Hi_ stone and tucking it inside her _hakama_. "There will be no other battles."

* * *

_Juichigatsu. Juninichi. November 12__th_

Because the sun does not rise that early in winter, the next morning seemed sadder than usual with the cloudless dark skies and the gentle falling of snow.

As Rei was leaving Hikawa Jinja, her guardians Phobos and Deimos begged to at least accompany her to the meeting place of all the other_senshi_.

"We just want to make sure you are okay, Princess!" Deimos smiled to assure her. "This could be the last time you will see us in this form too!"

Rei looked at Phobos and Deimos and smiled back at them. She then ran towards them to hug them both. "_Daijoubu.._." she said appreciatively. "I would rather have you in this way if the circumstances were right."

Phobos hugged tightly at her princess. "It is alright, princess," she said. "We are fated to be reborn as ravens but it does not matter as long as we are always by your side."

"You will return to see us in that form, princess, and we will always be here," Deimos almost tearfully told Rei. "Because you will win in this battle!"

"I will do what I have to do with the best I can, _minna…._" Rei dejectedly told them. "But I will not win."

Her guardians gasped at this thought and gave more reassuring words to their Princess, but despite that, Rei would still not allow them to go with her.

Four_senshi_ had to drag their feet to the meeting place -- the garden of the hospital that Mamoru is still staying in. They had to drag their feet because they had the heaviest of weights in their chest. Sailorvenus, Sailormars, Sailormercury and Sailorjupiter were first to arrive and at their appointed meeting place and had all remained silent as they waited for Sailormoon and the rest of the _senshi_.

When Sailormoon arrived with Sailoruranus and the rest of the _senshi_, she had already predicted the melancholy state of all her guardians. "_Minna-san…_" Sailormoon sadly told them. "I wish that I can lessen the pain that you are having right now but I-I…." Sailormoon had already burst into tears before she can finish.

Sailorvenus stood up and hugged Sailormoon. This embrace was enough for no words can reassure their Princess other than this show of unity.

It did not take long for all _senshi_ to assemble themselves in a circle and wished their crystals to teleport them to the Artic Circle where Elis has his stronghold. Their colorful auras surrounded them briefly for in seconds, they opened their eyes to a dark snow desert of snow storms and terrible wind chills. Clearly, Elis had spread most of his power quickly and there was no time to waste.

Sailormercury turned on her visor to see the coordinates of where the dark powers of Metallia were strongest. "It seems to be in that direction," she pointed to them. "And it also seems… that we are back to where we first defeated Beryl."

"It is expected. Beryl chose to fight us here because this is where Metallia's power is hidden," Sailorjupiter explained.

"And the rest of her raw power that she cannot contain is now distributed within Elis and the _shittenou_," Sailorvenus declared sadly.

"Then it is time," Sailoruranus announced. "Time for us to split into fighting the _shittenou_ and fighting Elis."

"How are you going to find Elis here when I have the coordinates with me?" Sailormercury asked, pointing to her visor.

"This is okay, Sailormercury. My mirror may not see the enemy but it can see where the deepest concentration of dark power is," Sailorneptune assured her. "When you all defeat the _shittenou_, my mirror can now see Elis and we know that you will be successful."

"_Hai…_" Sailormercury replied sadly, not at being excluded from finding Elis but at the thought of being successful in defeating the _shittenou._

"We understand, Sailorneptune," Sailormars answered. "We shall go in now and fight our battles." She then turned to Sailormoon and gently told her, "We shall be counting on you to defeat Elis, Sailormoon… so that there will be no other battles."

Sailormoon nodded. "I will defeat Elis," she said with full determination. "I will defeat Elis for you and for Mamo-chan!"

It was enough reassurance for all _senshi_. Destroying the bane of all bad memories coming into their lives would be a good mission to pursue and all of the _senshi_ had to rely on each other in order to do that. Seeing all her _senshi_ united warmed Sailormoon's heart and was relieved for the hope that her Tuxedo Mask would be saved.

Sailoruranus had run back to the guardian _senshi_ even after Sailormoon and the rest of the _senshi_with her had advanced to where the mirror was leading them.

"I just wanted to say…" Sailoruranus began, feeling a bit ashamed. "… _Gomen nasai_."

That apology was the reason why but Sailoruranus continued. "I am honored that I will take part in saving them!" she smiled. "For that very honest politician of yours and that rocker guitarist who promised me a race on his motorcycle!" Sailoruranus was referring to having taken part in setting up the date for Rei and Kamui, as well as having a chance meeting with Makoto's Sanjounin where she had challenged him to a motorcycle race.

Even though that apology was met with much appreciation from all the guardian _senshi_, they still stayed there with a lingering feeling that their battles would end bittersweet. There was no other alternative that they could choose. Each of them had already invested their feelings on their fated enemies unwittingly or otherwise.

Sailormercury waited until Sailoruranus and the rest were but mini-dots on the horizon before she spoke. "It should work, shouldn't it, _minna_?" she asked, brimming with hope. "The _Hi_stones were entrusted to us so they should simply accept these memories when we sync it with theirs so that they can remember how they are loyal with their Prince! Or else… Zoicite would not reveal it in his memories."

"_Masaka.._." Sailorjupiter asked in disbelief. "Yesterday, Nephrite's _Hi_ stone also revealed to me all his memories in the past. Did anybody else see this?"

Sailorvenus and Sailormars nodded. "It seems that yesterday, their _Hi_ stones all revealed to us their memories," Sailorvenus answered, smiling. "Kunzite's memories were… ultimately sweet. He was finding ways to even secretly rendezvous my castle in Venus. That is so unlike Kenta-san to go after a girl."

"This is strange… to have their _Hi_ stones reveal to us their memories at the same time," Sailorjupiter spoke in wonder. "As though it is critical for them to let us know of their intention to revive their true memories."

"As though it was one desperate call for help…." Sailormercury concluded. "Before Elis finally consumes all of them."

"We must do what we have to do," Sailorvenus said. "We must go in and activate the _Hi_ stones so that we can return their memories!"

Sailorjupiter sighed. "And then there's the other possibility," she said sadly.

"What possibility is that?" asked Sailormercury.

"That they do not choose to work with us in using the _Hi_ stone to get back their memories," Sailorjupiter answered, sighing. She turned to Sailormars. "What do we do then?"

Sailormars looked sharply at all of them. "If they do not wish to work with us in getting back their own memories, we will force it back on them," she answered, drawing gasps of surprise from everyone.

"How do we force it back on them?" Sailorjupiter asked worriedly.

"You have all seen how Elis has further corrupted their _Kage_ stones and how he has placed it in their own hearts," Sailormars answered with the same steely stare. "It must work the same way with the _Hi_ stones."

"_Masaka…._"

"_Hidoii…._"

"That is just too harsh, Sailormars!" Sailorvenus exclaimed. "If you had seen the same memories as we did, you would know that they purposely stored their _Hi_ stones to have their memories returned. There would be no reason to reject it!"

"Not unless Elis has entirely consumed their whole being," Sailormars answered. "Both their past selves that Beryl controlled from the_Kage_stone and their present selves that were reborn because of the _Hi_ stone."

The three other _senshi_ all slumped down to digest that. Sailormars had mentioned a possibility that they could not face along with a solution that they all found themselves too weak to carry.

"_Minna_… there is a reason why they have entrusted us with this _Hi_ stone," Sailormars continued, holding up the _Hi_ stone on her hand. "We are probably the only ones they can trust to ensure that they will not lose their true essence that they have confined in this _Hi_ stone."

"So then, we must make sure that we return their true selves… at whatever cost," Sailorvenus concluded sadly.

Sailormercury wiped the tears that fell from her eyes. "At first, I only wanted to save Soujirou-san," she said tearfully. "But when the _Hi_ stone revealed to me all of Zoicite's memories, I remembered only then how much I had loved him in the past that now I also want to save Zoicite."

Sailormercury has spoken what seemed to be blasphemous but none of them had courage to discount the same truth that they had in their hearts. Sailorvenus and Sailorjupiter were also both too intent on the same things and only Sailormars had the same denial even within herself that all of this has to be done for the sake of duty.

So Sailormars took the _Hi_ stone in her hand and wished fire to come out from it, shocking all her comrades from this one action. She then held the floating _Hi_ stone and moulding its molten state with her fingers, fashioned the same stone in the shape of a sharp crystal blade so that she held this last shape in her hands and showed it to all of the _senshi_.

"We cannot save either Zoicite or Soujirou if Elis has consumed their entire being," Sailormars told them. "If it must be done, then all we need to do is do what they expect us to do."

Sailorvenus nodded and sadly looked at Sailormars. "Do we know what would happen after we do this?" she asked. "Do we know who will return to us? Will it be Kunzite or Kenta-san?"

"I do not know," Sailormars answered coldly. "Their memory that they revealed to us only promised that this _Hi_ stone will return their true memories and thereby reviving their true essence. I just know that we should do what we are supposed to do."

Sailorjupiter nodded as a single tear fell down her cheek. "I just wish I am as capable as you are," she told Sailormars. "But at least I know what must be done."

Sailorvenus nodded. She looked at Sailormars and then at Sailorjupiter and Sailormercury. She then took out the _Hi_ stone and held it in her hand. Her expression changed from gloomy to hopeful. "We will not only do what should be done," she said. "We will be successful because Sailormoon and Prince Endymion is dependent on us."

Sailorjupiter held out the _Hi_ stone in her hand and stretching her arm next to Sailorvenus said, "For the sake of the whole world."

Sailormercury then did the same and tearfully added, "And for those we love."

Sailormars had the same wishes as her comrades and had no intentions of having this one mission dedicated to anyone else except for Sailormoon, the_senshi_ or for the world in this present time that she had learned to love.

However, as soon as Sailormars stretched the hand that held the _Hi_ stone towards all the _senshi_, a face flashed before her. What she saw was not a reflection from the _Hi_ stone but from her own memory for she saw the kindest face that Kamui Asano ever showed her on the day that she met him at the Tomesatsu Shrine.

"_Tell me again, Rei-san… I just want to hear it," Kamui told her, grinning from ear to ear. "Because it is not too late."_

It is not too late.

And before Sailormars could withdraw to sink in towards this memory of hers, the _Hi_ stone in her hand glowed the brightest engulfing all the _senshi_ within that circle. When the light had thus dissipated, Sailormars found herself alone, _Hi_ stone in hand, within a shiny expanse of dark ice. The snow storms lessened to a weaker gale and then stopped to force the sky into a clear so that she could now clearly see the silhouette of someone walking towards her.

His cape also flowed with the wind as steady as the lightness of his steps. Then he stopped to look at her with that signature smirk of his… Kamui-san's signature smirk, that is… as she wants to remember it. But of course, Sailormars could not deny that because he was here, then that means her enemy has arrived.

It is time to face him.

- tsuzuku -

* * *

**chiisai noto:**

Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) Battle! It is now time for battle! That is all I can say about that… By the way, the _Hi_ stone and _Kage_ stone concepts were drawn from the SNES game where the _shittenou_'s spirits were again talking to Endymion and the _senshi_ to help them. Naoko Takeuchi herself helped collaborate in the game so I thought that this could be used as worthy _canon_ at least.


	22. 20: Last Memory

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 20 - Last Memory**

**Jisho/Dictionary:  
DAIJOUBU…** It's alright!  
**GOMEN NASAI…** I'm sorry  
**HAI…** Yes  
**HI stones… **Stone of light  
**HIDOI**… Cruel  
**KAGE stones… **Stones of shadow / darkness  
**MASAKA…**No way  
**MINNA…** Everyone  
**SENSHI**… Soldier / Warrior  
**SHITTENOU**… Four heavenly kings. In this case, Jadeite, Kunzite, Zoicite, Nephrite  
**YAMETE! … **Stop!

**In the Previous Chapter:**

The_Hi_ stone finally reveals its memories to the _senshi_. The _Hi_ stone revealed that the _shittenou_ has stored all their memories and therefore their true essence in the_Hi_ stones so as not to to have Metallia and Beryl's dark power within them consume their entire being, with the hope of retrieving their true memories and return them to Endymion. They have entrusted their_Hi_ stones to the _senshi_.

Having realized this, the _senshi_ now understood that they must do all they can to return these memories so as not to lose the _shittenou_. A dilemma arose -- Elis has further corrupted the _shittenou's__Kage_ stone and put these in the present selves of the _shittenou_who were reincarnated by the _Hi_stone and thereby, changing their present selves. The _senshi_ must save them before Elis fully consumes the reborn and true_shitennou_.

To do this, they must make sure that the _shittenou_ accept their memories from the _Hi_stone by working with the _senshi_ in receiving them. This could only work if Elis has not yet consumed their present selves. If Elis has consumed them, the _senshi_ has decided to force it on them whatever the cost.

The battle now begins as the _senshi_ face their _shittenou_.

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

* * *

Above all self-assurances that she can face any threat or danger as a sworn protector of the Princess of the Moon, Sailormars put an image of Kamui-san above her thoughts even now as Jadeite stood just a few feet across her with the steely eyes and a confident smirk. Kamui-san's image was the greatest motivating factor for the Princess of Mars because he represented all the good that she had never known in Jadeite. And thus far, Sailormars had decided that she wanted to save Jadeite too. 

Jadeite indeed had the calmest of all evil looks as though he did not wish to end this particular battle quickly. Just a few feet across him stood the _senshi_ who he remembered staunchly guarded the Mars gate at the Silver Millennium, cheating the rightful heir Elis of his birthright by supporting the affair that ended the alliance. Moreover, this was a foe who harshly defeated him. She had caused the most horrific death to him and so he would make sure that not even a spark will erupt from her hand.

_No more of this strong senshi of fire, as she was called_, thought Jadeite. That memory of her was just one easy battle where he was caught off guard. He will never lose to her again. He will not go back to Elis, the rightful Prince of Earth, with the shame of defeat from this fiery princess.

Elis's powers had corrupted almost a thousand years of impetuous wrath within each of the _shittenou_. Jadeite threw out consecutive violent surges from this power such that his nemesis was not quick enough to settle the score to a draw.

She was easily thrown to one side by a single surge she cannot immediately leap out of. And there, Sailormars chose to settle in her pain for a moment, gripping the _Hi_ stone tightly in her hand. The fires in her free hand were still because she had also chosen not to retaliate.

This moment had not aroused the least bit of compassion in her foe.

_What was it though that made this princess waiver?_ Because she has already stumbled twice on her feet being hit by his powerful surges… and so easily? Jadeite did not remember the Princess of Mars to be this weak.

* * *

Nor had Mamoru remembered any of those who corrupted his Golden Crystal to be this strong for he felt the power draining further and further from him, where the light in his eyes dimmed to moments in his life flashing before him… particularly that of his Usa-ko…. 

It is in this moment that Elis could feel the power in his hand to increase for the power of the Gold Crystal was fading. Metallia's latent power was surging with the strength of his _shittenou_ allies on his side.

"This is it…" Elis proudly declared. "The glorious past of this Earthen kingdom will return as it should be!"

* * *

Sailormoon was bent on returning the strength of her beloved Endymion but saw that even her own efforts to rescue him from Elis were stopped by her own protectors -- Sailorsaturn and Sailorpluto blocking off her path towards Elis in order to protect her from his attacks. 

"World Shaking!" Sailoruranus shouted as she summoned her attack.

Sailoruranus's attack shook the dark ice surrounding Elis but it did not manage a single crack. Elis stood in the darkest of circles of ice where the attack of any _senshi_ only propelled Metallia's latent power from within to rouse from sleep and retaliate with the deepest surge of dark power to lash out against all of them. This one threw off Sailoruranus and Sailorneptune from the ice just a few inches away from sharp glaciers that would've impaled their bodies.

Sailorpluto and Sailorsaturn took a more defensive stance towards their Princess who could only scowl at having an enemy so near and yet so far.

Earlier, Sailormoon had already called in her Silver Crystal against Elis of which Metallia through Elis consumed in brief time.

"It will all be useless, Princess Serenity…" Elis condescendingly told her. "The strongest allies of Prince Endymion are no more. They have chosen me -- the true heir of the Earth. I will return this kingdom to its roots."

Sailormoon groaned in despair. "Silver Crystal… _onegai_…." she called.

Metallia had instinctively seen the summoning of the Silver Crystal's power that it caused Elis to instantly lash out a surge of dark power pierce through Elis's shield in various spikes. As the spikes swiftly flew, all four _senshi_ gathered around their Princess to protect her from the upcoming attack to which their combined powers called impulsively at that moment were futile against Elis.

Sailormoon cowered safely behind Sailorsaturn until Sailorsaturn went down on her knees in pain. Sailoruranus, Sailorneptune and Sailorpluto were also on their knees panting in exhaustion from this latest attack.

"I have told you this would all be useless," Elis sternly warned. "Do you think you can go against the combined powers of Metallia and the Earth?"

Sailormoon now realized the disappointing fact that Elis proclaimed. The_shittenou_ were now fully consumed by Elis and their powers that hold the Gold Crystal now belong to him.

All they can do in this time is to survive until the guardian _senshi_ have successfully returned their _shittenou_to Endymion.

* * *

That was the only reason why the guardians of Serenity seemed weak in this battle. How can they return someone who does not wish to return? In the four corners of the Artic where each of the _shittenou_ were stationed, they were now all standing confidently having a beaten _senshi_ at their feet in just a few minutes. 

Each of the _senshi_ now lay with their backs shivering against the dark ice and were not in a position to speedily contemplate the best strategy in activating the _Hi_ stones in their grasp. Their enemies stood above them and were wise enough not to continue on their offensive further, trying to find out why these _senshi_ have easily put up a fight, but the _shittenou_ were also ignorant enough not to notice the gems in their hand.

In the Eastern part of the Artic where Jadeite stood in front of Sailormars, he had ignored the small voice inside of him that argued that this battle would not be good for him. The wrath in Jadeite's consciousness was big enough to mute his ears to the kind soul that told him of his loyalty to the true Prince of the Earth.

Sailormars struggled to stand to her feet, still grasping Jadeite's _Hi_ stone as tight as she could. When he mercifully let her stand on both feet, she immediately raised his _Hi_ stone to him so that it brightly glistened even in the pale light.

The reflection gleamed in Jadeite's eyes causing the darkness within him to dissipate and immediately glaring his vision that he threw a surge at her in panic. As soon as his vision returned, that of the comfortable darkness of his dark powers, he saw that the _senshi_ of Mars managed to dodge such an easy attack and this angered him all the more.

"This is your _Hi_ stone, Jadeite," Sailormars declared in an argumentative tone. "You must take it."

Jadeite had mouthed some words but he was not able to say it. He had realized it for a moment but was not patient enough to let down his fury so when he gave in to it, he had released a darker and more powerful surge of energy that Sailormars had managed to dodge by an inch, literally cleanly slicing an inch of her hair rather than slicing through all of her.

"Jadeite!_Yamete!_ This is--"

Jadeite had thrown another surge at her that she has now been adept at dodging. If Sailormars were like any of her comrades, she would've been more resolute on being on the defensive. After all, they had all agreed to try their best in getting these enemies to work with them in activating their _Hi_ stones, whatever it takes.

But she was not very patient. She held her arms and called forth fire from her hands and surrounded herself with a huge ring of burning_mandala_ around her. Jadeite then called forth a dark energy surge and the rings of fire around Sailormars protected her this time so that she was able to stand still in her position instead of leaping around to dodge it. Technically, this was still on the defensive.

"Jadeite!" she called out from within her _mandala_. "I have seen everything! You were one of the loyal kings of Endymion. Elis has brainwashed you! You must--"

Sailormars was interrupted by yet another surge that consumed part of her burning _mandala_ that she called forth more fire to flow into it.

"--You must return to Endymion!" Sailormars continued, despite constant attacks from Jadeite where something even managed to hit her. "This was your wish, Jadeite! As you have entrusted your memories to me!"

That last sentence seemed to have triggered the darkest and most powerful surge coming forth from Jadeite's hand. It was powerful enough to consume all of Sailormars's _burning_ mandala and even blasting her with such a force to throw her off the ice.

Sailormars could not stand to her feet this time. The impact of that surge was as though he had hit her hard against a cement wall. Jadeite then dashed instantly to her position and grasped her by the neck to raise her high above his head, choking her slowly to exhaustion.

At least from this angle, however torturous it could be, Sailormars could see the furious look in Jadeite's eyes. His mouth uttered syllables in the air which could his voice could not even translate into concrete words. Thus, she understood that his vision was clouded with dust and her pleas would be taken for granted. From the very moment she had teleported to his position in the Artic, she was not facing Kamui nor Jadeite, but the darkest ally of Elis.

The first alternative of having Jadeite work with her to return his memories was a lost cause from the very start. This just means, there was just one avenue left.

Her free hand held onto the hand grasping her throat and erupting enough flames in her hands, Jadeite painfully wrung free from his grasp and threw her off the ice again. Sailormars wheezed air inside of her and having enough adrenalin to propel her to her feet, she used this moment of opportunity to call forth another burning _mandala_ to surround her enough to throw Jadeite off course from her path.

His adrenalin however, has propelled him to greater fury that without thinking, he caused more dark surges to consume the fire surrounding her. Sailormars has built a bigger wall of burning _mandalas_ this time that as predicted, enticed Jadeite to come closer so that his dark surges would have a closer range in delivering the latest blows to her fiery shield.

But she needed him closer. The intensity of his surges created harsh bruises that penetrated past her _mandalas_ and she could have created more flames had her other hand been free of grasping his _Hi_ stone. Sailormars had decided that she would hold on longer just so she and him would get the range they need.

And he was indeed closer. Close enough than ever to hurt her. Close enough to the point of completely destroying her.

"_I am going to change our destinies because I am going to save you."_

And then, that one memory of him saying those words had to creep into her mind for those few seconds it had to matter. Of all memories she had wanted, that was not a memory of her Kamui. It was a memory of her Jadeite -- the promise he made to his _Hi_ stone.

As much as she would not like to, Sailormars could feel the tears fall on her cheeks and her flames around her caused them to sting. That remorse was bitter was enough atonement. Sailormars felt all the more resolute in her decision. There was no other choice anyway. Sailormoon and the rest are in danger. It is her duty to save her and the Earth.

"Maybe it works the other way around," Sailormars desolately told her blind enemy. "You are going to change our destinies … if you allow me to save you."

Jadeite could not hear it. The dark powers within him had forever imprisoned the voices of reason, his true essence, within him. But this dark empty shell of Elis was also vulnerable to fire and it had reached the right range. When it did, Jadeite's body produced no single surge of dark energy at that moment, which was a pity, because it had thought it was near enough to destroy the enemy his master had tasked him to destroy.

Instead, he found locked within his chest, a sharp crystal with its core glistening to his eyes even in the pale light. The seconds were fast enough for him to realize that this was indeed his _Hi_ stone and the woman before him… was ever so familiar.

_She was… the woman standing in front of the fire…._

And the power that caused this _Hi_ stone to lodge within his chest was one of her own hand -- from her Flame Sniper.

The light from his _Hi_ stone was powerful enough to release a light that glimmered in that dark area of the Artic where the dark ice started fading slowly into gray.

* * *

That thus was Mamoru fully awakened from his illness, even rejuvenated than ever. He stretched his arms above him with a sense of power awakening inside him like never before. 

Not only were the dark powers dissipated but the true essences that resonated in his Gold Crystal had returned.

He had only one thing in his mind however. "Usa-ko…" Mamoru whispered.

In only a matter of seconds, his hospital room was empty because he had summoned a teleportation to the place where he wished to, leaving that room as his real incarnation -- Prince Endymion.

* * *

So then did the last surge from Sailoruranus's sword successfully penetrate into slicing cleanly the red strands of Elis's hair. This sudden change was not even evident to the instincts of Metallia who had resided deeply inside Elis. But then, Metallia was the only power that Elis distinctively felt within him. 

Sailoruranus dealt another blow of her sword to slice more of Elis's hair that previously bound them with ferocious spikes,showing clearly to Sailormoon and the _senshi_ with her that the biggest threat to her Endymion and to the former Silver Millennium was now vulnerable.

The glaive and the staff that held the sacred orb were now raised in battle. Sailoruranus took a stance with her sword, allowing a little room for Sailormoon to move past their former defensive formation because now their battle can begin.

"It is not possible," Elis whispered to himself. "_They_ cannot return."

But that was not a fact. His commands to summon his allies were not returned. None of the _shittenou_ came to his aid at time and Elis could see, with great alarm, the treacherous enemies that stole his crown were advancing.

Sailormoon could now proudly lift her Silver Crystal and carry forward with summoning its power against the dark powers that she had fought for the third time. The beam of light from the Silver Crystal shone their brightest for Sailormoon had all the _senshi_ rallying behind her.

Only this did not seem to be enough in disintegrating the combined forces of Elis and Metallia in an instant. Elis had arrogantly predicted that he was better at carrying Metallia's powers than Beryl and he had indeed done so by effectively resisting even the Silver Crystal that the mighty Princess of the Moon held.

"It does not matter anymore," laughed Elis. "I will still prove to you that I am the rightful Prince of the Earth!"

So did Metallia provide such a strong torrent of her power to support the prince that Elis claimed to be. This power was enough for Sailormoon to struggle against the stream of dark energy going against her and she could feel her strength fading and fading further to summon more of herself towards her Silver Crystal.

The strength that she lost would have failed had it not been for someone to support her hand.

Endymion was only very determined to make sure that his beloved princess would not be defeated by his traitorous pretender. With both hands, Endymion supported Sailormoon in an embrace to have her hand firmly in place for her to withstand the dark surge unleashed by both Elis and Metallia.

The appearance of his Prince took a sharp blow to Elis for this only verified that not only were the powers that held the Gold Crystal no longer his, but it was now working against him. Elis knew the powers of his Prince and shook in terror as he saw it coming against him.

"I am the true heir," Elis declared to himself, for it would be his last stand.

* * *

It seems the final battle with the true enemy now lies in the hands of Sailormoon and all her other comrades had successfully managed to return the _shittenou_ to Endymion. Sailorvenus was not certain of this. She could only deduce from the light dissipating the darkness in the sky and the ice slowly turning from black to gray. 

She could also tell that the _Hi_ stones had again resonated at once for she was now with the same enemy in a different place and in a different time. This only signaled that Kunzite's _Hi_ stone had again given her a memory.

_Over Magellan Castle overlooked the harbor where the ship of Kunzite would sail for the last time. And here was the Princess of Venus, not understanding why she was standing with him as though she was the one pleading for him to stay for the last time. _

_Kunzite handed her a sword, displaying the emblem of the Moon. "You know what we should do," he told her sternly. "We each have our duties." _

_The Princess of Venus nodded. Of course it was. This was her sword. Yet her eyes could not mask the sadness that misted over it._

"_When the time comes, I know that I would not hold back against you… even if I would have no choice in that, but I expect you to do the same," Kunzite told her. "Our kingdom and our cause before our own selves."_

Sailorvenus was surprised to see her past self simply nodding and not saying anything at this time! If it was the present time with her present self, she would! She already knew she had changed a lot from her past self, but wouldn't this be the appropriate time to say something?

_Kunzite's disposition finally changed. He smiled at her. "But I never regretted any of this either," he told her. "Given the same chance, I know I would do this over again and would have come for you."_

_And with that, the Princess of Venus's dutiful disposition also changed. There were no words here either. She simply rushed forward and with the sword between them, pulled Kunzite closer and gave a seriously long kiss as his final goodbye._

* * *

_The Princess of Jupiter found herself running past the guards at the Jupiter Gate despite seeing the darkness coming over to overtake the light of the Silver Millennium. They would not understand if they found her running with Nephrite for he was now deemed not as a friend of Jupiter but an enemy. _

_Declared so clearly as that, she knew that the other senshi were fighting these same soldiers of the Moon and they would not understand why she was clinging to the hope that Nephrite's consciousness was not yet swallowed by the darkness, as Endymion had earnestly warned them earlier._

"_We must stop!" Nephrite told her, panting from exhaustion, and holding on to his chest. "You must go on and fight with your senshi."_

"_Huh? We can still find a place where they can't find you and --" Sailorjupiter reasoned._

"_--No!" Nephrite said vehemently, feeling his eyes burning. "It is too late."_

"_We are near it, Nephrite. Just a little--"_

"_--I have been trying to fight this for as long as I could," Nephrite interrupted instead, holding her hand tightly. "But it seems, we cannot do this without our true consciousness. It is true… Beryl has brainwashed us completely, hasn't she?"_

_He held her hand tight to reassure her as she began to sob. "You will be the only one able to return me to myself. I have faith in you," Nephrite smiled reassuringly at her. "But right now, you must run … from me."_

* * *

Sailormercury was already weak on the knees from all her sobbing when Zoicite's_Hi_ stone delivered the last memory. 

_The Princess of Mercury walked slowly because there was no reason to run. There was no breach in the Mercury Gate and the rest of the soldiers had left in order to attend the other walls that were attacked. _

_There was no threat because Zoicite was already lying on the ice caused by the gentle mist that the Princess of Mercury had sent to confuse any enemy. That was the only attack she was able to deliver and there was even no need for it. _

_The blades of ice flowed from his stomach and the sharp gash inched deep into the palm of his right hand. There was so much force for one determined enough to die by his own hand. Why did he allow it to happent this way? The Princess of Mercury was dismayed for not allowing her such a battle. _

"_I did say I would always let you win," Zoicite grinned at her, answering her own question._

_The Princess of Mercury did not stop her tears this time and he freely let her see how defeated she was. "But you did not even give me enough time at least to confess," she bitterly told him. "Because if you knew, then you would understand that after this, you would never lose."_

_Zoicite was surprised. "What was that?" he asked. _

"_That I was inlove with you," the Princess of Mercury told him. _

_Yet she was not sure if he had heard it because his eyes remained listless and blank, devoid of a sparkle that indicated life._

* * *

Sailormars however knew that she was not present in this memory of Jadeite. 

_This was a scene where the soldiers of Endymion gathered hailing the banner of Beryl and her confirmed heir, Elis. His true heir, as she says. _

_This would be a last moment for the four kings under Endymion where they all stood together with their firm consciousness intact for the last time. Standing on one row in a different balcony facing another balcony where Beryl and Elis addressed the soldiers, Jadeite stood by Kunzite's side as always, with Nephrite on his left and Zoicite next to Nephrite._

"_I cannot keep a memory of 'her' fighting me," Jadeite admitted to his comrades in a whisper. _

"_What?" Nephrite asked, confused. _

"_Our consciousness is fading away, Jadeite," Zoicite whispered. "We cannot control the darkness that Beryl and Elis planted in us. She will have to fight you."_

"_I know," Jadeite said. "That is why I am ready to embrace it… so that 'she' will not hesitate to fight and I will not even remember a moment of it."_

"_I have heard that 'she' has always managed… to __**not**__ hesitate in doing so, Jadeite," Kunzite said, smiling._

_Jadeite grinned, as this was the only occasion Kunzite managed to even try a joke. _

"'_She' will hesitate, Kunzite… because 'she' is inlove with me even though she won't admit it!" Jadeite snidely told Kunzite. "Only this time, if she knew that it wasn't me but the dark powers of Beryl controlling my own consciousness, she will definitely not think twice in fighting that."_

It seemed that Jadeite was quick to jump to that conclusion despite having vehemently telling her previously that he would change their destinies. Yet here he was completely resigned to his fate and banking on the idea that she would not hold back at him.

Sailormars could not understand it. Didn't he say he would not allow it?

Even the _Hi_ stone contained a hint of bitterness in that memory which is why it showed her the last battle with Jadeite at the Mars Gate during the days of the Silver Millennium.

_The Princess of Mars realized that the one fighting her right now was not the Jadeite who saved her but this was an empty shell of darkness used by Beryl against her. And it is now possible that he would be threatening the security that she had sworn allegiance to. _

_How can it be too late? Didn't he say that he will change their destinies? How blind was she to believe that? _

"_I cannot be party to this deception!" roared the Princess of Mars as her enemy willfully came closer and closer towards the right range that she can mercilessly unleash upon him the strongest arrow flying from her Flame Sniper._

_It was a barrage of fire arrows with the strongest one hitting straight in Jadeite's chest. The rest of it burning him slowly where he managed to stand and look straight at her with that last spark of consciousness in him._

_Jadeite's vision was clear enough to see the tears in his princess's eyes and was relieved enough to know that they could at least be for him. _

"_I told you… I would save you," Jadeite muttered weakly. He coughed and blood dripped from his mouth, and he soon realized that this pain was real. She had been successful… just as he had planned._

_But it was only then that the Princess of Mars realized that the Jadeite she once knew had spoken. She knew it in his eyes. They were staring at her with the same kind of reverence as the days before and it ran the most painful guilt through her. _

_He had to prove that he could write his own destiny because he will not die as her enemy. Yet the price for that was extremely precious to her that if he had only known, she would not let him pay for it because she had loved him. She was already loving him from the beginning. She could just not muster enough courage to say it._

_But there were no time for words. The glimmer of life in Jadeite's eyes were fading and his strength was not even enough for him to utter his last goodbye. So the Princess of Mars decided that he would at least leave him with a lasting memory of the truth so that Jadeite would know. _

_She ran towards Jadeite and caught his last breath with her own mouth._

The_Hi_ stone ended with the most bitter of memories. As much as Jadeite had tried to, he was not able to succumb completely to the darkness and was able to keep this one in his _Hi_ stone.

It was enough to land enough guilt into the Princess of Mars who now sat on a floor of soft white snow and back in the present time in the Artic where the present Jadeite lay unconscious in front of her. His_Hi_ stone was lodged off his chest and lay beside him without even a faint glow.

The light in this formerly dim place and the absence of the dark powers in the snow could only mean one thing of Sailormoon's mission.

Sailormars knelt beside Jadeite and gently caressed his lips with her own fingers, trying her best to understand this last deja vu because the sins of the past felt more painful when gravely repeated.

"I remember it clearly now, Jadeite," she sullenly told his lifeless body. "Our last kiss… tasted of blood."

There were no tears this time. The fire that surrounded her had evaporated them quickly into mist.

A sharp wind came with the snow, surrounding the whole environment with it and blurring the vision of Sailormars so that she could no longer see Jadeite lying down in front of her. Then snow turned into mist and mist turned into rays of light, similar to an aurora borealis of fascinating colors.

This was generally a quick process of teleportation summoned from the Silver Crystal but it was only now that each of the _senshi_ felt the gradual passage of time within this teleport. Maybe it's because they all had the same feeling of grief and loss that the passage of time felt so numb.

"_Minna-san…_"

The gentle voice of Sailormoon brought them into realization that the gentle snow falling on each of the guardian _senshi_ was that of present-day Tokyo. Sailormercury, Sailormars, Sailorvenus and Sailorjupiter all found themselves in the same position as they were last battling now here in the garden of Mamoru's hospital.

Sailormercury was still standing with her face buried in her hands and the last tears on her cheeks had turned to ice. Sailormars was kneeling. Sailorvenus was standing and at ease with her battle stance, as was Sailorjupiter.

"_Minna-san…?_" Sailormoon repeated gently, calling out to them to make sure if they were ready to listen.

The other outer _senshi_ each took steps forward to move from behind their Princess and they all waited for a response. Only when Tuxedo Mask walked from behind Sailormoon looking at each of the guardian _senshi_ did the latter realize that they were indeed back in their own present time.

"Sailor...moon…" Sailormercury softly called out to her.

"We are here…" Sailorvenus uttered weakly, staring at Sailormoon with glassy eyes. "… And you are all… does this mean that you have defeated Elis?"

Sailormoon nodded as all the outer _senshi_. "Elis is gone. Mamo-chan has been restored," she smiled at them. "I did not want to call you back to our battle, _minna_… your help was enough."

"Besides…" Sailormoon continued, talking softly. "… I know that even if I do call on you, you would go to me, as you did in the past."

"All that matters is you and Mamoru-san are safe," Sailorvenus answered, trying her best to smile.

Sailorjupiter nodded. "And we have all succeeded," she said softly.

Tuxedo Mask heaved a heavy sigh because he could not take the pain that was evident in each of the guardian _senshi's_faces. Yet, he had decided that this event of their success was too fresh that he would contain the matters in his own heart to himself.

For the moment.

"Let us all go home… Sailormoon," Tuxedo Mask said gently. "This was a heavy battle and they all need to rest."

Sailormoon nodded and looked at all of her _senshi_compassionately, saying, "We all need a new day."

* * *

_Juichigatsu. __Jusannichi. __November 13__th_

A new day.

Only the time was new and none of the guardians of the Princess of the Moon seemed to want to explore this fresh new beginning.

Minako blankly stared at the empty audience chairs in the theater as director Take loudly argued with his assistants as to where his leading man had been to. The assistants have tried to gently argue that Kenta Maeda was never like this to miss an important dress rehearsal but Take-san argued otherwise stating the obvious -- Kenta Maeda was not present. And although this kind of news was usually of genuine importance to Minako, her ears had automatically shun their words. She could only see that everyone around her was frantic and worried about this crisis in the great director's play. She does not understand why. She prefers it that way to live as if Kenta Maeda has never been cast.

Ami Mizuno also stared blankly at the examination paper before her and did not care to comprehend if the formula that was written there actually made sense. So what then if she will fail? Then this would not be the first time.

Makoto would rather lock herself in her own apartment. Enzo-_sempai_'s bridal shop would no longer be considered refuge. Its position inside the mall would remind her of many things. Enzo-_sempai_ of Sanjounin's jealousy, the walking _kogyaru_ girls of his crazy groupies and the music shop of his guitars. She would not even dare to look at a _gyudon_ the same way again. Makoto surmised that all _gyudon_ could be messed up and still taste as good, as Sanjounin would cook it.

All the everyday mundane things now seemed important and all the past important things now seemed trivial, as Rei Hino realized. The mundane things reminded of the things she had took for granted and the important ones were no longer too attractive to aim for.

Rei sat by the door of the Meditation Room looking outside to watch the falling snow. She had excused herself from going to class today and instead chose to sulk by the Sacred Fire. Phobos and Deimos stood beside her and looked at her with a pair of sad raven eyes. The powers of Metallia that Elis had unleashed were too cruel. Now is the time that she needed Phobos and Deimos's counsel, and they could not even speak because they are now in their destined present-day forms as ravens.

"No… " Rei told her guardian ravens, choking up and preventing herself from breaking down again. "Given the chance again, I would never let him go."

"I would speak. I would tell him. That's what I would do," she continued. "But I have no more chances."

Phobos and Deimos perched on their Princess's lap as their method of telling her that they had understood her sadness and longing. That is the only thing they can do in these forms.

"Elis was at least useful…" Rei said, smiling weakly. "… His goal to bring back this Earth back to the time of the Silver Millennium enabled me to see you both as you were before!"

Phobos and Deimos nodded.

"Yes… and see that side of Jadeite that I had already forgotten," she told them.

"There could still be chances… or one chance at least."

Rei jumped in surprise, causing her ravens to fly being alerted to their Princess's reaction. That response was not from Phobos or Deimos.

Mamoru Chiba was now standing near the ledge of the house and under the falling snow. He was wearing a brown wool coat and a printed red scarf. He was also smiling cheerfully at Rei.

"Mamoru-san?" Rei greeted with astonishment as to what he was doing at Hikawa Jinja. Her ravens saw that it was the Prince and were now at ease.

Mamoru nodded. "I was told to wait at least another day to give you all time to rest from what had just happened," he said. "But I told Usa-ko… that this was word that I had owed to all of you. It cannot wait."

"_Nani…._?" Rei wondered. It took her a few moments to realize that Mamoru was still out in the snow so she ushered him into the warmth of the Sacred Fire, still all the time anxiously waiting for what he was about to say.

Mamoru knelt down by the fire in front of Rei and her two ravens who were equally as enthusiastic as their Princess.

"Like I told you earlier, there could still be a chance," Mamoru said, wasting no time in telling her as well.

"A chance?" Rei asked anxiously.

Mamoru nodded. "Were you able to return Jadeite's _Hi_ stone to him?" he asked.

Rei fell coldly silent. "I had no choice," she replied dejectedly. "I had felt that since Elis had consumed every part of him, I had to--"

"--force it on him."

Rei nodded. "Yes."

"Minako, Makoto and Ami had done the same so you should not feel guilty about it. If you all had the same assessment, then you all had no choice but to do what you had to do at that point."

Rei sighed. Mamoru-san's encouragement still did not help ease her feelings.

"Still…" Mamoru continued. "I felt the same power that had previously drained in me to return even more so than ever which means that their true essence has returned to them. And because of that, I was able to go to Sailormoon and help her defeat Elis."

"Defeat Elis?" Rei's eyes widened in surprise at this information. "You were there too, Mamoru-san?"

Mamoru nodded. "I have to face Elis myself because I was the one he considered as his true enemy… the one who destroyed the alliance and endangered his role as my heir."

Mamoru paused for awhile to reminisce the events of Elis's last defeat. His face was grim with this moment of recollection. Rei was not there at that time so she now only realized that Elis did have a special bond with Endymion because Mamoru would not feel this bad to face Elis again if it were not so.

"But we would not be able to defeat Elis if it were not for the Gold Crystal that I held," Mamoru said. "And the crystal inside me would not have been this powerful if its true powers were not unleashed."

Rei waited for the next reply.

"The true powers of the Gold Crystal would not have been unleashed if you were unsuccessful in returning the _shittenou_ to my side," Mamoru finally told her.

"Return?" Rei repeated Mamoru's word in disbelief. "But I-I… I saw Jadeite lying in front of me…."

"Minako and the rest have all said the same thing, but I know this for sure, Rei-san," Mamoru looked hopefully at her. "The bond I have with my _shittenou_ are as strong as that of you and Usa-ko. I felt their true essence… their powers lending themselves to me… I could not be mistaken."

"They have all returned to me, Rei-san…." Mamoru reiterated. "They could return as who they are in this present time."

This sent a couple of chills within Rei Hino. Because if Mamoru himself has verified it, then that should be reliable, right?

At this time, even this kind of information propelled a great optimism in Rei. It did so for Minako, Ami and Makoto because Mamoru had all visited them first to tell them of this news.

Rei was also propelled into action because as soon as she realized the hope that this brought to her, she immediately threw on her scarf and coat in order to run outside and find out. Phobos and Deimos were screaming loudly at their Princess as a warning for her not to move about hastily.

Mamoru remained calm as he saw the fourth _senshi_ move about this way. The first three did the same when he talked to them earlier. He actually did not expect Rei to do the same.

"Where are you going, Rei-san?" Mamoru asked Rei as she frantically put on her cap.

"To Kamui-san's house," Rei answered hurriedly. "I need to see him now."

"Now?" Mamoru pretended to sound uncertain.

"Yes, now," was Rei's simple answer.

"Then you should not go to his house," Mamoru told her.

Rei winced. "Why not?"

"Because they had found him unconscious in the garden of the same hospital where I was after the battle with Elis," Mamoru said. "The three others were with him. They are all in the hospital."

"_Sou ka…_ then I must go to the hospital," Rei said.

"Are you ready to go there, Rei-san?"

"What do you mean?"

"I only know that my _shittenou_ has returned to me and I could feel their true essence to be alive but I don't know if they have completely returned to the present."

Mamoru stood up and compassionately looked at Rei saying, "What I mean to say is that, are you ready to face him in case he doesn't remember you?"

A bolt of blue struck Rei at that instant for the hope that was in her seemed to be now dead as it was again. "Then, why did you have to tell me this, Mamoru-san?" she asked as gently as she could, trying to fight tears of disappointment.

"Because you would have wanted to know," Mamoru answered, sighing. "Only in knowing it all would you be able to do what is best."

Rei sunk to her knees and again knelt on the floor, stupefied at this sad thought.

Mamoru knelt down and whispered, "It might not be harder this time."

"I don't want to start again," she said miserably. "He has already known that I love him."

Mamoru smiled and held Rei's chin up for her to look into his eyes as he said, "Then that just means that you will want to do whatever it takes."

Rei at this point, doesn't know if she can do as Mamoru said. She did not know if there was anything left inside of her to do more than was already done.

That was the same response that Mamoru gave to Minako, Ami and Makoto, who had all sunk to the same level of despair that Rei was feeling at that moment.

"It would only seem more frightening at this time, Rei-san because you don't know what will happen next," Mamoru said, smiling to comfort her. "You used to think that your destiny with him is that he is your enemy and there is no choice but to fight your enemy."

"But right now, this has changed. He is no longer your enemy," Mamoru continued. "You can now write your own destiny. You now have many choices open to you."

Mamoru buttoned his coat and walked down the steps towards the stairs leading out of Hikawa Jinja. "I hope you make the best one," Mamoru said as he walked away from Rei.

Rei watched Mamoru walk slowly away from her, watching the snow fall on him and all around the areas he did walk, noticing how the falling snow matched his pace. She watched until Mamoru's head disappeared from the steps and was sad to see him disappear for there would be no more reason to stall her thoughts in digesting what he had said.

She actually thought that she knew what to do if she knew there was any hope at all of having Kamui-san returned to her. But Rei sunk to her knees with very blank thoughts. How could she rush to that hospital knowing that there is this possibility that he would not remember her? What would she say? What will be the most effective way to make him remember? What if he had remembered his bitter past with her as Jadeite first?

Phobos and Deimos sat beside their princess and offered their listening ear to her. But the Princess of Mars did not say anything. She wanted to let this day pass for the meantime.

* * *

- tsuzuku - 

---------------------------------------------

**chiisai noto:**

Remember, Kamui Jadeite. Kenta Kunzite. Soujirou Zoicite. Sanjounin Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) I must admit… I wanted to get to the present time already because that's where everything will be resolved. I know that it takes quite a long time for me to type things but please be patient. This is a new arc but it will not be a long one. I wanted to focus on the senshi fights and not the other senshi (like the outers) … sorry! Or else everything's going to be longer and longer….


	23. 21: New Beginnings

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 21 - New Beginnings**

**Jisho/Dictionary:  
ARIGATOU /DOMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASHITA**… Thank you**  
BAKA / BAKERO**… Fool / Stupid**  
DAIJOUBU**… It's alright**  
CHOTTO MATTE**… Please wait**  
GOMENE / GOMEN NASAI**… I'm sorry**  
HAI**… Yes**  
HONTOU...**Really**  
KAMI-SAMA… **God**  
KONNICHIWA**… Good afternoon**  
KUSO**… A cuss word**  
MASAKA**… No way**  
MINNA**… Everyone**  
MIKO**… Shrine attendant**  
NANI**… What**  
OJII-SAN**… Grandfather**  
OKAA-SAMA… **Mother**  
OTOO-SAMA… **Father**  
SENSEI**… Teacher**  
SENSHI**… Soldier / Warrior**  
SHITTENOU**… Four heavenly kings. In this case, Jadeite, Kunzite, Zoicite, Nephrite**  
SHITSUREI SHIMASU...**Excuse me**  
SOU KA…** Oh… Is that so**  
SUIMASEN**… Excuse me**  
YAMERO**… Stop it

**In the Previous Chapter:**

Elis has been defeated. The _senshi_ realized that he was defeated with the help of Endymion, whose power now increased greatly for him to assist Sailormoon in defeating his former disillusioned heir.

This defeat however did not seem good news enough for the Minako, Rei, Makoto and Ami because they had no choice but to force the _shittenou_'s own memories on them by stabbing the _Hi_ stones to the _shittenou_'s bodies. After this had happened, the _Hi_ stone gave each of them one last memory -- the last moments of their conscious selves on the Silver Millennium that the _Hi_ stone was able to record.

When all the _senshi_ returned to the present time, Minako, Rei, Makoto and Ami were very weak and disappointed. They didn't know what had become of the _shittenou_. That was until Mamoru came to each of them to tell them that he had felt his power return and even his power greatly revitalized because the true essence of the _shittenou_ has returned and lent them their powers. What he's not sure of though is if their memories of the present time has returned with them.

Rei was particularly disappointed with these news and was not sure of what to do next.

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

………………………………

_Juichigatsu. Juyokka. (November 14__th)_

The very next day, Rei dashed out of Hikawa Jinja at six in the morning. The hopes that sleep would stall the worries of the previous battle were futile because she was up all night thinking whether Kamui-san had indeed returned and lost his memories. It was finally clear to Rei that even though she worried about the possibility of not having Kamui-san remember her, she was even more worried that she would not even get a shot at seeing him at all.

So Rei skipped all her classes at Waseda and went straight to the hospital. She was told however that Kamui Asano was no longer confined there because he was released late yesterday afternoon. The nurses were suspicious at her asking why he was released early given his high profile status.

Rei caught a glimpse of the news in the nurses' station showing that the son of the next potential prime minister of Japan was suspiciously found unconscious in the hospital garden but showed no signs of trauma or illness. His family then set out for his early release.

Even the three others found with Kamui -- Soujirou, Kenta and Sanjounin -- were released yesterday along with Kamui.

That seemed to be very strange.

When Rei finally commuted to the Asano residence, she found about two reporters waiting outside the gate. At first, Rei wanted to risk this and ask about Kamui-san. But before crossing the street, common sense stopped her in doing so to remind her that any piece of information would be crucial especially now that the DLP will soon vote to determine the next DLP president and automatically, Japan's next prime minister. Her presence could arouse deadly gossip and she would not risk any suspicion to the Asano. Or to her as a Hino because her father is after all, one of the potential leaders of the DLP.

The present time proved to be more difficult at this moment. The complications in their status gave Rei no choice but to retreat.

………………………………

_Juichigatsu. Jushichinichi. (November 17__th)_

The next three days were fruitless as well because it was either press or heavy security who were stationed at the Asano residence. Rei made sure she would come over there after her classes at Waseda or during her free time that she was now disappointing both Kagura Ono and her _ojii-san _who wondered why she was neglecting her duties in their office.

So late this afternoon, after Rei's class, she went straight to her father's office and reported to Kagura Ono's clerical commands. And it was also at this time that she wonderfully reminisced how her past in the Silver Millennium differed in many respects -- there was not much paperwork back in those thousand days on the Moon! Rei however had no choice but to be dutiful to the current workload as she had to keep her word of honor to Ono-san and her father given that she had after all started this to understand the political world that her mother was once involved in. And yes… of Kamui-san's present world also, as she would now gladly admit.

Besides, Rei has taken a leave from her duties to fight the battle with Elis. Now, it's time to go back despite Ono-san's apparent mistrust for Rei's return.

"You should not worry too much, Hino-san," Ono-san assured her with a sly tone. "You can be freed of all your duties to your father's campaign in the next few days since there will no be work after the election."

"The election is in a few days?" Rei asked in surprise.

Ono-san nodded. "Tomorrow," she answered. "When your father _becomes_ prime minister after that, there would be all sorts of people assigned to all his reform bills."

"It is so fast!" Rei exclaimed in disbelief, being detached from the news in the present time for the past few weeks.

Ono-san rolled her eyes. "Your father has specifically said that you do not need to come over and instead focus on your … life and studies."

The timing for her father's concern over her surely came at a bad time. Rei was in fact, more than willing to spend her time in the Parliament building to get more opportunities to see Kamui Asano. It sounded like a desperate move on Rei's part but there were no other better opportunities.

"It is not really a problem… Ono-san," Rei responded meekly, faithfully piling the papers in front of her. "I can still come around to help here in my father's office."

"That is the very thing, Hino-san… you do not need to come here," Ono-san bluntly replied. "Besides, your father stressed the importance of your education. Something he and your mother previously discussed of some sort…when she was still alive." Ono-san's face turned sour. "It would also seem contradictory to his educational reform bills if his own daughter has no intention on continuing hers successfully."

Rei had no reason to answer that. She has no other rebuttal available for Ono-san's statement. All she ever cared about was to be in the same building was Kamui Asano.

And even in the days that that she was there at the Diet, she was not able to see Kamui-san. For some ironic reason, Junichiro Asano was the only one she kept seeing moving around the Diet building often and his only son was not by his side.

At about eight o'clock in the evening, Rei found herself staring outside the posh stalls of Ebisu. She did not want to go home. There was nothing else to do except stare at the Sacred Fire and wait for an answer. Rei knew it would not even give her so small as a hint because what she was seeking from it was not to find an evil power to protect the Earth or her Princess.

"What are you doing freezing in the cold???"

Rei was surprised to hear the shrill and alarmed voice of Minako, dressed in a puffer jacket and wooly scarf, standing right beside her window at the same shop at Ebisu.

"Minako-chan?" Rei asked, comforted to see a friend come by.

Minako-chan had quick and freezing reflexes that enabled her to drag Rei to the nearest coffee shop to thaw. Rei was still surprised at this unexpected meeting and still more surprised at being haplessly dragged, but she let herself be taken as she was also touched by Minako-chan's concern.

"Were you able to shop around for anything, Rei-chan?" Minako anxiously asked after she had sipped her cup of tea. "Or were you planning to window shop all day?"

Rei shook her head. "Just looking around," she answered, blowing the hot vapors off her tea.

Minako nodded. "You looked very absent-minded though!" she nonchalantly proclaimed. "It doesn't seem like you were looking at the stores at all. The dress at that shop where I found you seemed pretty amazing!"

Rei chuckled. "_H-haii…_"

Minako gently sipped her tea and then sighed. "This is because you have now confirmed that what Mamoru-san said was true, _ne_? That the first meeting after our battle was… so difficult."

Rei's eyes widened in surprise. "What Mamoru-san said was true? So it means that they have all--"

"--Lost their memories…" Minako said, her eyes glassy with despair. "How was your first meeting with Jadeite… I mean, Asano-san, after our battle?"

Rei sadly looked down at her tea cup. "I didn't know that it was all confirmed, Minako-chan…" she desolately told her. "I've never had a first meeting with Kamui-san ever since we have defeated Elis."

"_Hontou_?" Minako exclaimed in surprise. "Didn't you go to the hospital or see him at his house?"

Rei sighed. "He was already discharged when I got to the hospital and his house is full of reporters and security. I cannot even find him at the Parliament building and even if I can… it would seem impolite to talk to him before the DLP elections."

"DLP elections?"

"When they vote for the next DLP president… the next prime minister… between his father and mine."

Minako blankly looked at Rei and took a moment to digest everything that her friend had said. Another few minutes later, Minako sipped from her cup of tea and seemed to understand it all.

Minako sighed. "It does sound very complicated, Rei-chan," she finally concluded. "But then again, you can still see him after the elections and find out for yourself. Maybe he will remember you."

Rei nodded, smiling at Minako's predictable optimism. "What about you, Minako-chan? How was your first meeting?"

"It was very very difficult," Minako said, after taking a long deep breath. "I was not able to see Kenta-san in the hospital so I went to his house. At first, I thought that what Mamoru-san said was not true but I found out that Kenta-san could not remember me at all."

Minako tried her best to smile. "Director Take-san however went directly to Kenta-san's house to persuade him not to destroy his most amazing play. It took a few moments before Take-san realized that Kenta-san could not fulfill his role as the lead part in the play."

Minako exhaled a few sighs. "Kenta-san still remembered that he had agreed to play in Take-san's play, Rei-chan… but…" Minako paused and sadly looked away. "Kenta-san can't remember most of the rehearsal or most of his lines. So his understudy will take his part opposite me instead."

"_Gomene… _Minako-chan…." Rei sincerely encouraged, looking right into Minako's doleful eyes.

"_Daijoubu…_ Rei-chan… It is still possible after all!" Minako announced, now smiling. "That their memories will all fully return! After all, Kenta-san still remembers to be part of Take-san's play! That means he has not lost all of his memories but only a part of them!"

Rei squinted, looking doubtfully at Minako. "But those are were the memories without us in it, Minako-chan! How can we be sure that they will all return?"

"We can still try!" Minako said enthusiastically. "Maybe you have a bigger chance too, Rei-chan! Kamui-san may have only lost part of his memories that included you!"

Rei was comforted by Minako's enthusiasm despite the doubt that still lingered in her heart. "_Sou ka…_" Rei answered, trying her best to smile. "We can still try…."

Minako's smile faded however, after seeing Rei's forced affirmation. She then took Rei's hand and held it tight. "It would seem that destiny has again dealt us a cruel blow. We have again lost the ones we love by having their memories taken from us."

"But I have seen Kenta-san's memories as Kunzite and I learned that there was a side of Kenta-san I have not known before," Minako continued, looking extremely hopeful. "We still carry the memories they have lost. Don't you think that they would be happy to get them back too, Rei-chan?"

Rei nodded and smiled. "I have already decided, Minako-chan. I will do whatever it takes," she said. "It will just be more difficult now that we have no _Hi_ stone to help us make them remember this time."

Minako laughed with Rei on that realization. "It seems everyone else has decided the same thing too!" Minako happily told Rei. "I will simply tail all of Kenta-san's gigs for me to find out if he can still remember me!"

"Tail Kenta-san? As in … stalking him?"

"Everyone's doing it!" Minako said defensively. "Ami-chan has been following Soujirou-san at Tokyo Tech! Mako-chan isn't doing something yet but I know she will be! It is as what you said… we'll all do whatever it takes!"

Rei watched as Minako sipped her tea. And she was jealous that her friend was able to live like that -- as though she had not been through enough battles to even rest from feeling down. Of course, Rei knew Minako well enough to know that Minako was not masking all the hurt and disappointment from the inside. Minako just felt it wiser to battle all that is hurting within her with hope.

………………………………

_Juichigatsu. Juhachinichi. (November 18__th)_

Minako's optimism on going through great lengths in helping Kenta-san's memories not only comforted Rei, they also challenged her to do more. The intensity of her desire to see Kamui had been so strong that her patience waned all the more knowing that she would have to wait at least three more days after the DLP Elections.

She picked up today's newspaper and the _Asahi Shimbun_ had its headline as, "DLP Elections today -- Japan Prime Minister to be selected." The article in the _Asahi_ said that the DLP factions were strongly divided it would be a tight race. The _Mainichi_ also concurred with this fact. The ruling conservative party of Japan offered two differing and quality alternatives that party members took a long time to decide as to which candidate to elect.

The photo of her father looked stern and serious against the smug smiling grin of his rival, Junichiro Asano in both newspapers. Even until the end, Asano-dono looked jolly and secure, _just like Kamui_.

"You do miss him?" Rei's grandfather spoke, startling her concentration. "I meant Asano-san."

"_Unn…_" Rei nodded, putting down the newspaper without looking at her _ojii-san_.

"You can call him," her grandfather smugly suggested.

"But--"

"--Protocol doesn't matter now," her grandfather interrupted before Rei can object. "The election is between the two MPs and not you and Asano-san."

Rei smiled at the thoughtfulness of her grandfather, but she cannot explain to him that Kamui might not even remember her so a phone call would not be wise. Seeing him in person was the only way she could get to him … _whatever it takes_, as Minako and Mamoru said… but that the current situation prevented her from doing that.

After a long silence, Rei's grandfather patted her on the shoulder and smiled reassuringly at her. "Your mother would know what it would have felt like," he told her. "On situations like this."

"Being a politician's wife was not an easy task but she was strong enough in every situation," her grandfather continued.

"Except for the last," Rei answered glumly, leaving a surprised and disappointed look on her grandfather's face for he was old enough to understand the sour, implied meaning in his granddaughter's statement.

"_Gomen nasai_… _ojii-san_…" Rei soon immediately apologized after realizing the tactless remark she made. "I just thought that if Mother pulled through the last, then she would not have failed and… and…"

"… and died without your father?"

Rei guiltily looked away without saying anything.

A sigh. "Failure doesn't mean lack of strength, Rei-chan," her grandfather gently explained. "We may not know exactly what happened during their marriage but I know your mother. She would not have persisted hard for those she did not love. She would do _whatever it takes_."

"_Whatever it takes?"_ Those words perked up Rei's attention.

Her grandfather nodded, smiling. "She was just not afraid to fail," he said.

That just settled it for today.

There was light snow going to the next shrine where Rei's mother was buried. This would be a detour in Rei's plan before she would be fully set in going after Kamui. After all, today was the DLP election and it would be unwise to see him today. She had a fully valid reason for this detour.

So here in the late afternoon, Rei found herself walking towards her mother's tombstone. She would go there to light incense and apologize for not thinking highly of her for so many years. She wanted to apologize for taking this long to realize that she was just so filled with resentment towards her father's absence in her life that she was not open to understand what it is to be like in her mother's place. And she also wanted to see if there were any words of encouragement she can hear from her or any tips on how she was able to last… as a politician's wife.

Of course, it would be silly to talk to a tombstone but her grandfather insisted that she still go in the smallest possibility that she could be able to hear something encouraging.

Indeed, after all this pep talks with Mamoru, Minako and her grandfather, Rei only realized right now on the way to her mother's tombstone that she still would need more motivation to go and persuade Kamui Asano to remember her. What was it that everyone of them said? _Do whatever it takes._

And even though she had affirmed it with all three of them, the thoughts of what seemed to be the next troubled state in her life weighed down her real motivation. What was it then? Rei questioned herself as to why she lacked the necessary passion to go through with it. In fact, isn't this detour to her mother's tombstone an act of consolation for her current situation? Isn't this just stalling her actions when it was clear on what she was supposed to do? It was already clear with Ami and Minako!

But _Kami-sama_ understood that there should be more chances for those who love. Rei was then pre-destined to meet two more people before her passion would be complete because every person just has different ways of coping. Rei needed at least one more assurance and _Kami-sama _would go the extra mile and give her two.

She was now about to meet the first and Rei was surprised to see him as well -- this old man standing in the snow with a solid black trench coat looming over her mother's tombstone.

His staunch figure from behind only reflected what you would expect when you see him up close -- just like his photo in the _Asahi_ and _Mainichi_. It was just not possible! Shouldn't he be in his office for the DLP elections?

"_Otoo-sama_…?" Rei greeted in a question to make sure that she was addressing the right person.

That thus Ryoichi Hino turned sternly looking at her with a blank expression on his face. "Rei," he simply greeted to his own daughter.

"_Shitsurei shimasu…_ " Rei apologized. "I would come back after you're done."

"There is no need," Ryoichi Hino curtly replied. "I am done."

"_Arigatou…_" Rei responded, giving a short bow to her father.

Ryoichi Hino acknowledged with a nod, bowed low to the tombstone for his last respects, and immediately turned away towards the path away from his daughter without saying anything.

Rei was used to this cold expression of her father but as he walked away, another churn came to her stomach reminding her to use this one chance to speak to him. She had always wanted to speak to him but was not able to due to his schedule (or as according to Ono-san). There was much to benefit from using this very rare opportunity.

"_Otoo-sama_!" Rei called to her father, who was only about a few feet away.

Ryoichi Hino halted and turned towards her. "_Hai_," he answered.

"I have always wanted to tell you…" Rei sighed for a bit, causing mist to flow from her mouth due to the cold. "… That you do not have to arrange any more marriage prospects for me."

Ryoichi Hino frowned. "_Nani_?" he asked grimly.

Rei exhaled. "Because I can assure you that I am wise enough to choose one for myself," she told him.

Ryoichi Hino looked sternly at her for a moment and without changing his expression, he answered, "Very well."

Rei's eyes lighted in surprise at her father's rather agreeable answer.

"But you cannot expect me to stop Kaidou-san with proceeding to pursue you," Ryoichi Hino then told her. "When a man has found all the qualities that he wants in a wife and wishes to steadfastly proceed in doing so, then I would like to honor that man's goal."

"B-but--"

"--That is final, Rei, Neither you or I can do anything about it."

Rei frowned at the explanation. She remembered having this argument with Kamui Asano when he had asked his lawyer to provide her a proposal for marrying him because she had "all the qualities" that he had wanted in a wife, as though this was more of a business deal than a marriage. This explanation that her father gave actually affirmed that some men actually thought that way but nevertheless, this would not justify her father's reason. (Nor that of Kamui's previous action.)

"Can it be really possible, _Otoo-sama_… that a man finds a woman with all the qualities he lists?" she challenged, giving a steely look towards her father.

"Of course it is possible," was the man's quick and simple matter-of-fact reply.

"Then have you--?"

"--I have found no one else," Ryoichi Hino answered without changing his sullen expression. . "Even until now."

Ryoichi Hino paused for a bit and gave a small sigh. Clearing his throat, he repeated to say," Even until now...I have found no one else."

Rei's mouth fell agape, dumbfounded at her father's reply. She had thought all this years that all relationships that her father was capable of was built on nothing else but practical and political gains. But now, he sounded as though he was on something that did more than just made sense. Could it be possible… that in his father's marriage to her mother, there was love?

She looked at Ryoichi Hino and waited for verification, but he never changed his expression. His poker-faced disposition was as stoic and stern than ever that she could find no hint at all.

"Is there anything else?" he finally asked, looking quite uneasy standing in the cold.

Rei shook her head.

"Then I have one thing more to say," her father added.

"_Hai…_" Rei replied listlessly.

"Whoever you choose to marry must still honor me by asking for my permission."

"I understand," Rei responded in obedience for she of course still respected tradition and honor.

But Ryoichi Hino shook his head. "Listen then," he told her. "I am still your father. Whatever I have is yours. So whoever asks for your hand, you will then also give him everything that I have worked for, everything that I stand for… It is only fair that I have a say in that, don't I?"

"_Hai…_" Rei nodded. She swore that she had understood.

Ryoichi Hino did not need any answer to know that his own daughter truly understood. A true politician debating in parliament with wily politicians would be experienced enough to know just by judging from the looks of their opponents if they had meant what they said. So he gave a short bow to his own daughter as his cue for goodbye to which she bowed back to acknowledge.

Rei would know later that after burning incense to her mother's tombstone that the voice she expected to hear from was not from beyond the grave. Her mother can no longer speak to her but somehow, circumstances happened in the right time for her mother to bring Rei back to her father. Rei wouldn't have thought that the right words would've come from her own father. He usually doesn't talk very much.

Ryoichi Hino, in the meantime, walked away from his daughter being himself in all respects. He left enough mystique for everybody to continue figuring him out every single day, even for his own daughter. There were just a few people lucky enough to hear what is truly in his thoughts. Such as now for he walked away whispering, "_Hai… _I have kept my promise to you. Our daughter will have everything she needs till the very end."

If Rei could have heard that, she would have been more resolute in her thinking. But even her father's vague answers proved hopeful enough for her to move on.

"_Ne...okaa-sama_…" Rei whispered, as she burned incense on her mother's tombstone. "You were able to do whatever it takes because you were not afraid to fail."

Rei smiled. "I guess I am stubborn as everyone says I am… just like you and _Otoo-sama_."

………………………………

_Juichigatsu. Juhachinichi. (November 18__th)_

Makoto Kino canceled all the classes she taught for the rest of the season. The culinary school was not at all pleased because of her recent absences nor were they thrilled that she would not continue teaching for the rest of the season. It was a good thing that Makoto was able to find a substitute teacher to replace her or else she would have no choice but to continue working with a heavy heart.

Makoto had no problems working. In fact, she disliked being idle. Being busy would keep her mind off Sanjounin and Nephrite. Or both. But Makoto feared that these memories of him would keep her from doing her best at work because glimpses of him would appear during those very short breaks.

Right now, she was on the verge of rearranging her the furniture in her little apartment for the fifth time. She was actually more productive than ever. Kakei-_senpai_ had called her twice that day begging for her to return to his bridal shop. Of course she wouldn't! Didn't her _senpai_ understand that he was the cause of her and Sanjounin's fight?

Makoto now plopped herself on the sofa, now realizing that she was exhausted from all that work. Minako had come earlier and told Makoto of her grand plan on how to make Kenta-san remember her. But like Rei, Makoto at this point felt that she was not yet ready because…

This living room arrangement she did was not at all ideal for such a small place. She would have to return it back to the way it was.

………………………………

_Juichigatsu. Juhachinichi. (November 18__th)_

Stalling perfectly… two _senshi_ have called this as "rest." Rei said she would have no choice. Ami Mizuno was very glad to hear about Minako's plan.

If Soujirou-san was as brave to disguise himself as V-Knight just for him to respect her, why wouldn't she do the same? Ami thought that Soujirou-san probably had a memory of his past life as Zoicite and decided that he would not allow himself to die a cowardly death this time before he could even hear that the Princess of Mercury loved him.

Ami on her own however, tried to recall how it was in the very distant past that as the Princess of Mercury in the Silver Millennium, she was as brave and coy with men as she wanted. Somehow though, she cannot muster that kind of skill in this present time.

"I was hoping that it could just be switched on," Ami spoke her thoughts and chuckled immediately after that.

But sighing as well because she could not turn the old Princess of Mercury of the Silver Millennium on. It would have been useful to do that and go to Soujirou-san and….

"_Suimasen_, _sensei…" _a very familiar voice spoke from behind her. "I was wondering if I could talk to you."

Ami gasped when she turned around to see that it was as she suspected. Of all people.

Soujirou Nishimura stood behind her in a very gallant stance wearing the usual teacher's uniform of white polo shirt and black slacks. He also had a pink tie on. His long waves were bound by a pony tail and he elegantly fixed his glasses with the tip of his pinkie finger raised. On his other hand, he held a thin and small laptop computer the size of a paperback.

And this very elegantly gay sight of him thrilled Ami Mizuno in ways that she had never known. Her eyes sparkled at the sight of him and her arms longed to embrace the friend she had missed. This kind of admiration was not something she showed outwardly to any man -- this version of her in the present time. But the present day Zoicite didn't mind because he smiled proudly as Soujirou to her that he didn't even notice the change in Ami Mizuno's attitude. So that only meant that he did not remember her at all.

Otherwise, the present-day Soujirou would spend no time in asking Ami Mizuno so many questions about her day, even stuttering and blushing as he did. But unfortunately, this was not the present-day Soujirou that Ami had known before.

"_Hai…_" Ami answered softly. "What can I do for you… _sensei_?"

Soujirou nodded without regard to Ami's obvious longing (and much to her disappointment.) "Mizuno Ami-san, isn't it?" he asked her casually.

Ami nodded.

"I would like to ask you to help me," he told her and then put the laptop screen in front of her. "It seems that I have built this site."

Ami looked at the laptop screen and saw a huge photograph of herself smiling cheerfully at the camera. There were also lots of photographs of her flashing beside it. "Ami Mizuno in Profile…?" she recited as she read the title screen across the whole page.

Her mouth was agape in surprise. This one moment demystified the Soujirou she had missed all this time now knowing this one side of him that he has never shown before. And what's funny is that Soujirou was smiling at her as he was showing her this page.

"It seems that I have made a website about you, Mizuno-san," he even tactlessly told her. "And I was wondering if you could… tell me why."

But Ami Mizuno was still in shock over the obvious fact that Soujirou seemed to stalk her with his camera. Now he didn't even know why… because obviously he can't remember why. But to ask her why? To ask her why he built such a site that knew all the details about her and had all the photos she didn't authorize about her? That was the strangest thing ever! Stranger than V-Knight!

"My name is Nishimura Soujirou," he said grinning and he then politely bowed low to her. "It is nice to meet you!"

………………………………

_Juichigatsu. Jukyuunichi. (November 19__th)_

"Two more days, _minna_…." Rei happily announced to her two ravens sitting beside her.

Phobos and Deimos seemed happy at their Princess's announcement because it looked like she was doing her best to exercise restraint. Rei actually could not concentrate in front of the Sacred Fire because of her restlessness. It seemed harder too when one has finally made a decision. This is the final one after many indecisive bouts.

Rei counted the hours after her morning classes. She had no class in the afternoon and she also had no business with Ono-san because the elections were finished yesterday. All she cared about was for the mandatory three days she put on herself to "ethically" see the son of her father's most celebrated political rival.

And then there was not much Shrine duties at three o'clock in the afternoon. Even though there was not much snow, few people came to the Shrine because it was cold. Rei was left with nothing to do to keep herself busy that she became easily unsettled in counting the hours.

It was then that Phobos and Deimos heard a huge rustle outside that they frantically flew out to see what was happening. Rei too heard the whirr sound of a motorcycle and quickly responded to the same instinct as that of Phobos and Deimos.

But before Rei could come completely come out, black feathers brushed their way in front of her and she could see Phobos and Deimos were flapping their wings hard to prevent her from stepping beyond the steps of the Meditation Room.

It was indeed the sound of a motorcycle and on it was a strange man dressed in all black attire of trench coat, pants and suit. He was also wearing the darkest shades over his eyes even though there was hardly any glare coming from the sun… as it was winter. How he was able to get his motorcycle successfully atop Hikawa Jinja over the numerous steps to the Shrine was something Rei was trying to figure out. It was probably this mixture of weirdness and notoriety that made Phobos and Deimos protective of her.

"_Daijoubu… _Phobos… Deimos," Rei gently told them. "I know who he is."

Phobos and Deimos immediately obeyed but perched themselves on the pathway of the Meditation Room to cautiously keep watch as they saw their Princess meet with this strange man.

Rei walked on the path closer and closer to his motorcycle and after giving a short bow, greeted, "_Konnichiwa…_ Nishida-san."

Nishida indeed bowed lower to Rei but still seated on his motorcycle. (The one that he was able to probably magically administer atop Hikawa Jinja by one way or other that baffled Rei up to this moment.)

"_Konnichi--_"

"--What is happening, Nishida!!!"

Rei gasped. Somebody had interrupted Nishida's greeting. She was too focused on Nishida that she now only noticed that there was someone with him… behind him at his motorcycle. That someone seemed to frantically wrapped in about three or four scarves that covered his entire face.

But Rei also gasped because her heart leapt at the sound of that voice. His light colored hair was now peeping through the scarves wrapped around him and he seemed extremely anxious in getting them off him as soon as he heard Nishida finally speak.

"Shut up!" Nishida commanded to his other motorcycle passenger while re-wrapping the scarves around his face. "I thought you said you would trust me!"

"_Kuso_! Nishida-_bakaaaaa_!" he screamed irritantly. "Do you have any idea how you were driving? I was flying around with the snow at that speed!!"

"_Gomen… _he gets to be like this when he doesn't get his way," Nishida apologized to Rei. "He was squeezing me too tight in the waist--"

"--_Bakero…_"

"--that I can't breathe and drive," Nishida finished, still re-wrapping the scarves around his passenger's face as he tried his best to take it off. "You know how it is."

Huge sweatdrop on Rei's forehead.

"_Yamero_… Nishida!" _he_ finally said that thus Nishida gave up.

Kamui Asano emerged panting and wheezing from the panic of Nishida's driving and the discomfort of having the mess of scarves wrapped around his face. His face was red with anger and his right hand was aching to hit the shades right off Nishida's face.

"I know what you want to do," Nishida seriously told Kamui in between the sounds of Kamui's knuckles crackling. "But do you want to act that way in front of a lady?" His face pointed to Rei.

Kamui slowly turned to the lady Nishida was talking about and found himself silly for showing his worst and most violent tendencies towards _her_. And thus after seeing Rei, he felt his cheeks flush with shame and putting his hand away, he stepped down from Nishida's motorcycle and gave Rei a short bow.

Rei on the other hand, felt the elation inside of her die down as soon as she saw Kamui do that. She had expected it but it is still different from actually experiencing it. She had at least hoped that Kamui at least felt in her heart that sense of familiarity for having known her enough. But obviously, the formality that he exhibited showed that no memory about her was left.

"Can you stay in that house over there, Kamui?" Nishida asked his young master. "We will go to you in a few minutes."

"Nishida… is this another one of your surprises?" Kamui asked suspiciously, still blushing.

"The deal was… my young master…" Nishida firmly stated. "… You would trust me."

Kamui huffed and hesitantly nodded. He looked at the house Nishida pointed at, which was the Meditation Room, and obediently walked towards that.

Rei however chose to wait by Nishida's side for an explanation as to why they were both here. She found herself unable to look at Kamui for the moment, trying to immediately nurse the hurt she was still feeling over not having been remembered. And she did not notice that Kamui had walked long enough down the path to look back and catch a glimpse of her… having lost that sight of her from her peripheral vision. Maybe it was curiosity. Kamui did not know what it was but he was back to being just a guy right now… doing a double take to look back at a pretty face.

Phobos and Deimos gave a loud "Caw!" to call out to the now familiar visitor. That was the only thing that knocked Kamui out of his trance.

"Nishida…." Kamui called out anxiously. "Are you sure this is the house I should go to?"

Nishida laughed hysterically. "Are you afraid of a few ravens?"

"They can be dangerous," Kamui replied defensively.

"How do you know?" Nishida asked in disbelief. "They're bigger than you, damn it… Go forward now, Kamui!"

"Nishida… " Kamui tried to sound as calm as possible. "I just know."

That statement of his gave a small sense of hope in Rei. _I just know_. How else could Kamui not know if he had not remembered? This time though, Phobos and Deimos were not thinking of attacking him like before for they did not sense any suspicion that he was a stranger or an enemy aiming to hurt their princess. Rei waved to both her ravens to move away from him however and they had soon obeyed.

"It is okay now, Kamui-san…." Rei gently assured him. "You can go inside and they will not harm you."

_Kamui-san_? Kamui felt strange at the sound of her calling his name and he had wanted to ask her, except Nishida's eyes glared at him from beyond his dark shades that he immediately rushed to the Meditation Room to do as he was told.

As soon as his young master was safe out of earshot, Nishida climbed down from his motorcycle and stretched both his arms in the air.

"He had a huge grip around me, you know!" Nishida complained. "I think I may have his marks around my waist!"

Sweardrop. "What brings you here, Nishida-san?" Rei asked.

Nishida smiled. "You needed a little help so I thought I would do that," he said proudly.

"By bringing Kamui-san over here?!" Rei asked in surprise.

"Hey… that was necessary, wasn't it? You were not doing anything to see him! If you took long enough, he would've probably erased you from his memory, you know!"

Rei guiltily paused after that. "I tried to see him, Nishida-san," she said regretfully. "But I was barred from entering by security and the press. The elections also--"

"_Sou ka_… that is alright then," Nishida answered, sighing. "Kamui's mother had restricted people from visiting Kamui right after we took him out of the hospital. She just doesn't want to take risks. But you don't have to feel sad about that. She also restricted visits from Tominaga Yuuka-san and even, Shizuka-sama."

"Really?"

Nishida nodded. "I thought you didn't try anything at all. I was wrong. _Gomen_."

"It is alright, Nishida."

"But that is why I am here. Like I said, you needed a little help. And my trusty motorcycle was still able to do the job, _ne_?" Nishida proudly patted his motorcycle. "I think that there is something you need."

Nishida dug onto the pocket of his trench coat and pulled out a mobile phone. It was an old model but the screen looked damaged and had huge specks of mist and water on it that Rei could hardly read the defaulted text that was on it.

"An old phone?" Rei raised an eyebrow to imply the question if Nishida was joking.

"It is still working," Nishida answered instead. "That is the phone that Eine had bought Kamui from Akihabara. It proved to be quite reliable because despite being fished out of the Sumida River, it is still working."

"Sumida River…?" Rei repeated. An instant memory immediately fell through in her head. That of Kamui pulling her out to the boat and escaping from the press. That was where she was able to saw the fireworks that her father had sponsored for the event. She had seen them majestically reflect on the waters of the Sumida River … with Kamui-san.

"I see that you know what I'm talking about," Nishida said, breaking the long trance that Rei seemed to be happily set in. "I guess I now understand why Kamui kept this as a memento of that. That was the one true time he had scored with you."

"Eh?"

"Never mind… you would not understand this unless you are a man. But that should help you out in helping him remember you."

"This one?" Rei asked disappointedly, looking straight at the worn-out phone on her hand. She thought there was something more like a photo or a video. (Or a _Hi_ stone for the present, if it were possible.)

"I have not seen this with Kamui-san," Rei told Nishida. "How are you sure this will help him remember?"

"Because he said so himself," Nishida answered. "He gave me a long text message with the instructions that in the case he came back from that magical battle of yours with complications like these, I should give this phone to you so that you can help him remember."

"Really?" Rei asked, surprised. "Kamui-san had predicted this?"

Rei was surprised that Kamui had foreseen this to happen but then, he probably knew the complications of previous battles in the Silver Millennium enough to prepare for this kind of situation. In his past life as Jadeite, he had prepared a _Hi_ stone for his memories to be restored should they be erased. It should just follow that he would be doing the same thing in the present life as Kamui.

"What else did he say, Nishida-san?'

"He said that you can give him the wood block that he put on the Shrine where he stated his wish and see if it can help him remember," Nishida answered.

"How did he know that I--"

"--He was probably stalking you all the time since he has these magical powers of disappearing and appearing out of nowhere, didn't he?"

Rei chuckled. "You… knew about our powers, Nishida-san?"

Nishida nodded. "I can disappear in and out of buildings too, you know… having access to all Asano property as the top DLP body guard," he said, winking. "Kamui knows better than to keep a secret from me and it was better this way too, so that I can help him."

"I wish that he had let me in on his secret too, Nishida-san…" Rei said, sighing. "Then I would've done more."

"Kamui told me that he may not save the world, but you can. It looks like you have and for that, he had to sacrifice a few things such as part of his memories. But he trusts you enough that you will help him remember or he would not have gone to such a risk."

Rei smiled. "Does he remember even just a little of me, Nishida-san?"

"It doesn't look like it," Nishida honestly told her. "It's a good thing though that he remembers even to the point that he definitely ended things with Tominaga Yuuka-san. That's good, right?" Nishida put on a very sour face at the mention of Yuuka's name.

"I suppose…."

"Tominaga-san was ramming her way through security and the press just to get to him. She also knows that Kamui lost part of his memories and knowing her, she'll see this as an opportunity. I was thinking that if Tominaga-san was brave enough to do that for him, you would be more so, Hino-san."

Rei saw the smug smile forming on the edge of Nishida's lips and could sharply sense the challenge that he was offering her. "I have more reasons to go on whether Yuuka-san exists or not," she said, smiling at him. "Because I will do everything for him."

A huge grin formed in Nishida's mouth. The happiness in his eyes beamed through his dark glasses as proof that he was very satisfied with Rei's answer. "Kamui seems to have calculated everything correctly," he said. "Including being sure about you."

"He must've trusted you enough to drag him here," Rei calmly commented.

Nishida coughed. "That one was _my_ idea," he stated firmly. "I thought you were not doing anything!"

Nishida then climbed onto his motorcycle and started the ignition on his motor. "I will come back for him at exactly six before his mother gets suspicious," Nishida instructed. He then gave a short bow to her and pressed onto the gas to signal his departure.

"_Chotto matte!!"_ Rei shouted, holding onto Nishida's arm to prevent him from leaving. "You smuggled him away from his family, Nishida-san!"

"Of course, Hino-san," Nishida curtly answered, raising an eyebrow on Rei's tight grip on his arm.

Rei only tightened her grip on his arm however, and grinned. "_Domo arigatou gozaimashita..._Nishida-san," she said appreciatively, then releasing her grip.

Nishida smiled back. "No need to thank me. The rest of it is all up to you."

The motorcycle's engine shrieked loudly startling Phobos and Deimos from their place. Nishida pressed twice on the gas and then pointed two fingers to his forehead and gave Rei a salute. The motorcycle whirred and skidded forward fast enough causing wind to rustle leaves and blow Rei's hair upward that before Rei knew it, Nishida and his motorcycle vanished without a trace from her sight so that just means…

… It means that it is just her and Kamui-san.

_Kamui-san…_

Didn't she wanted so much to see him? Wasn't that the goal after all the complications in their status has cleared? There was a mix of excitement and fear over this moment. So this is what it feels like to fall inlove with someone who you will meet for the first time. It's quite challenging, but somehow this reminded her of Jadeite during the Silver Millennium standing behind the door eavesdropping on the conversation between Queen Serenity and her _senshi_… making it a goal for him to ask _her_ to dance.

Rei was shivering from the cold or was it from excitement… as she gently pushed the sliding door towards the Meditation Room. Kamui-san was looking at the Sacred Fire. She could only see the back of his head and the color of his hair that she immediately turned back and leaned against the wall close to the door. Her heart went _dokun dokun_… loudly thumping on her spirit that she exhaled a strong mist of air and asked it to calm down.

_It is just a meeting… _

"Our first meeting again…" Rei whispered as she realized it. "_Masaka!"_

"_Masaka!"_

She was surprised to hear Kamui-san's voice loudly resonated in unison with her last expression so she turned and went inside to see Kamui retreating away from the Sacred Fire. He took a couple of steps away and turned back towards the exit where she stood and nearly bumped into her but managed to avoid doing so that he stood there instead looking at her with wide surprised eyes.

It was in this look that Rei felt her cheeks burn at seeing him because by seeing him looking at her so innocently and handsomely like that, she realized that she missed him so much. It only affirmed that she was just that inlove with him and yet, his surprised gaze that returned to her was not the usual one that carried so much affection and admiration, that she felt very disappointed at the same time.

"A-are you alright?" Rei asked, stuttering to regain her composure.

Kamui nodded. "But just now I had seen… " he paused to look back at the Sacred Fire, then returned to look at her to continue. "Is it possible to…"

His hand pointed to the Sacred Fire and he looked at her for awhile. She was eagerly waiting for what he was about to say but something inside made him reconsider. "Never mind," Kamui told her.

"Are you sure?" Rei asked eagerly. "I'm a _miko _in this Shrine. I could help you with your questions."

Kamui appeared to reconsider that thought for awhile and then smiled. "It is okay. I shall figure it out later on," he told her.

Rei chuckled. "Still the same…." she whispered, unknowingly saying her thoughts about his stubborn character out loud.

"What's that?" Kamui asked.

"Nothing at all!" Rei grinned, sweatdrop on her head upon realization.

Then she started to speak but words could not come out. She had wanted to say something as simple as, "How are you?" But it seemed too casual to say it and it would not accomplish anything. So for awhile there, she struggled with how to start a conversation with Kamui and phrases of what to say raced through her mind but nothing just seemed right.

Kamui could see Rei's apparent difficulty and empathized in her plight. He too however could not find anything appropriate to say at that moment. There was this sort of… tongue-tied situation that he got into where he always had difficulty to say the right things to the most beautiful woman he saw, fearing that he would say the wrong things and could not retract it afterward.

"Nishida led me to you!" came Kamui's first statement. He even shouted it. It was a result of mish-mash thoughts in his brain that he now regretted. _What the heck was that?_ The fear of saying the wrong thing that he could never retract came right before his eyes. He was thinking that she must think that he certainly hated to be in this place.

Rei however greeted any kind of statement from Kamui with great appreciation. "_Sou ka…_ I hope that he didn't have to strap you to his motorcycle!" she grinned, laughing a little at her own joke.

Kamui smiled. "No… he didn't force me," he said. "He said that he would lead me to a place where I can understand what has happened to me these past few days."

Rei looked down glassily onto the floor. "Has it helped you so far?" she asked softly.

"It has… a little," Kamui answered, looking back at the Sacred Fire again. "I have trusted Nishida with my life ever since I was little so I'm sure that he is right."

Rei nodded. "Nishida-san has also asked me to give this to you," she said, as she nervously handed him the nearly damaged mobile phone that Nishida handed her earlier.

Kamui looked at the phone and squinted to read the letters on the dilapidated screen. "This old phone?" he asked.

"_H-hai…_" Rei replied disappointedly with his reaction. "It is still working."

Kamui looked at the phone again and this time, brought it closer to his eye to examine it closer to see if he could remember anything from it. "_Masaka…_" he exclaimed in delight. "It is still working!"

He grinned and looked at her. "This is a very good phone."

Rei nodded listlessly. "_Hai…_" she agreed, exhaling disappointedly.

Kamui had noticed this lifeless expression of hers and looked back at his phone again. "I may remember things about this later on," he said, in an effort to reassure her. "But probably now… now… "

Rei was silent, waiting for an answer.

"Now… " Kamui struggled in his head to search for answers as he looked at the phone on his hand intently. "… now it just seems to me that everything I have been looking for is in this place."

Cold shiver ran down Rei's spine and she dropped the wood block that contained Kamui's wish on the floor.

Kamui had not noticed this one however. "You serve as _miko_ here at Hikawa Jinja, don't you?" he asked.

"_Hai,_" Rei politely answered, reeling from the awakened hope his previous statement.

"I have lost many things and I wish to recover them so I would like to humbly ask…" Kamui paused and bowed low before Rei, surprising her with this very formal gesture. "I would like to humbly ask if you could help me with it, _miko_-san."

"_Anoo…_ it is unnecessary to do that, Kamui-san…" Rei answered in alarm to his actions, gesturing for him to rise up to which he did. "Of course I would help you and you do not need to ask with that kind of request."

Rei exhaled a little from alarm and disappointment, to which she tactlessly told him from her emotions, "It is not like you…."

Kamui stood in silence and surprise as the _miko _before him said that. But this statement would do nothing to trigger any of the memories of her that he had lost. Not his phone. Not Hikawa Jinja. Not even the presence of her would do that. But right now… right in this present moment… his heart ached to see that sad expression of this _miko_ because he did not wish to disappoint her in any way.

In fact, it never occurred to Kamui that the _miko_ in front of him had a deep connection with him than he ever had in his whole life. All he cared about at that very present moment is to create a new connection with her that he will never let go of.

"_Arigatou gozaimasu…_ " he thanked her, smiling, and not bowing this time. "I really appreciate you helping me. It seems that Nishida has told you my name but I don't know your name. Can I ask what your name is?"

It took a lot of self-control for Rei to settle her emotions before going through with this awkward re-introduction, but she smiled and answered, "My name is Rei Hino."

"Rei Hino…" Kamui repeated. "Hino… your father is Ryoichi Hino-dono?"

Rei nodded.

"_Sou ka…_ I have always admired him even now that I realized he is up against my father," Kamui smiled, seeming very enthused. "But I am very pleased to meet Ryoichi Hino-dono's daughter more."

He took her hand and squeezed it in a tight handshake. "Rei-san…" Kamui mentioned her name with a smirk on his face.

Kamui took one last look at the phone he held and back at the Sacred Fire after he released her hand. This time, he gave a short bow to her and smiling, he said, "It shall be clearer soon… I will remember all that I have lost."

Rei bowed to return his gesture and preferred not to look back to see him leave. She chose instead to focus on the hope that she had heard -- that he knew he had found everything he was looking for in that place. It would be the very thing that will inspire her later on to continue and help him remember her. It should be enough to trigger all the things that will return the Kamui that already belonged to her.

Kamui however left with a different kind of happiness. He would certainly return to Hikawa Jinja. It did not matter now if he would ever regain all the memories he had lost for that year… just as long as he will have new ones that would include the _miko_ of Hikawa Jinja.

- tsuzuku -

---------------------------------------------

**chiisai noto:**

Remember, Kamui = Jadeite. Kenta = Kunzite. Soujirou = Zoicite. Sanjounin = Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) I know… it hurts! It hurts me too but we shall continue on with the story.


	24. 22: Unexpected Kindness

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 22 - Unexpected Kindness**

**Jisho/Dictionary:  
ARIGATOU /DOMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASHITA**… Thank you**  
BAKA / BAKERO**… Fool / Stupid**  
CHOTTO MATTE / MATTE KUDASAI**… Please wait**  
GOMENE / GOMEN NASAI**… I'm sorry**  
KOTO **… A musical string instrument native to Japan**  
HAI**… Yes**  
HONTOU...**Really**  
IKIMASHOU**… Let's go**  
IYA**… No / Stop**  
KAMI-SAMA… **God**  
KAWAII**… Cute**  
KONNICHIWA**… Good afternoon**  
KOI**… Carp**  
MIKO**… Shrine attendant**  
NANI** … What?**  
OJII-SAN**… Grandfather**  
OMEDETOU**… Congratulations**  
ONEE-CHAN**… Elder sister**  
SHAMISEN **… A musical string instrument native to Japan**  
SOU KA / SOU DESU KA…** Oh… Is that so**  
WAKATTA**… I understand / OK**  
YATTA**… Hurray

**In the Previous Chapter:**

The _senshi_ has verified that their beloved _shittenou_ has indeed lost their memories -- their present reincarnated selves returned back from battle and they do not remember the _senshi _that they had all met.

It ached Makoto that she did not wish to go out of the house. Ami had a chance encounter with Soujirou who approached Ami herself to ask her as to why he had built a website for Ami, prompting a strange new revelation to Soujirou's secret stalking days.

Speaking of stalking, Minako revealed to Rei that she was not against that idea however because she will go and stalk Kenta-san to make him remember her. It seems that the _shittenou_ only lost part of their memories, Minako says, so it's possible that they can still remember all of them.

Rei has had many obstacles in seeing Kamui. After a chance meeting with her own father, she finally was resolute in going after Kamui as well. That was until Nishida himself brought Kamui straight to Hikawa Jinja. It was their first meeting… again. It was the start. It is hopefully not the end.

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

………………………………

_Juichigatsu. Nijuninichi. (November 22nd)_

This was Eine's club. Well, it is really Kamui Asano's club with Eine fronting as its owner and manager. So the acid and weird touches in the interiors were courtesy of Eine. The rock atmosphere was Kamui's. It was the elder Asano, as in THE Junichiro Asano himself, who said that this club that he funded under Kamui's name would feature only rock bands. There is more money there, he says.

And it would also be… _cool._

Sanjounin Masato was finally asked by Eine to perform at his club tonight after being passed up for other artists despite his friendship with Kamui. Sanjounin could not understand why Eine had suddenly selected him but he thought that since he had nothing to do… or maybe he needed to do something but because he could not remember whatever those things were during the past few days… that he would just take this job instead. Besides, it would be an honor to play at one of Tokyo's most prestigious clubs.

Sanjounin now stood before its empty stage, four hours earlier than his performance. Eine said he would take care of his other band members… whoever those were. He would be meeting them for the first time. What Sanjounin knew was that he always had a passion for all things non-conventional. He would rebel at something he was good at in order to try things that he had never done. So right now, he was staring at the guitar that stood on stage while his fingers were itchy to strum his _koto_ or pick at his _shamisen_.

Sanjounin also knew that the best players of the _koto_ are focused. What needs to be done four hours before a huge performance in Tokyo's most elite rock club is to practice his guitar. He then reluctantly put the guitar sling over his shoulder and picked on a few notes.

"No…" he whispered, hearing that he had missed the right notes.

He then reconfigured the jack on the amplifiers connected to his guitar and then returned to strumming to his guitar again. The sound seemed to irritate him even more. They didn't sound as good. He continued to play the whole chorus of his song and something just didn't sound right. There was some flat note or sour pitch somewhere that he can't pinpoint. It felt like he was going to the top of a mountain and missed that last step to the zenith. It was so frustrating even after seven adjustments to retune.

"Bravo!"

Sanjounin heard someone congratulate him in English accompanied with hands clapping. This came from a slightly older man than Sanjounin, possibly in his late 30s, wearing a dark leather jacket over a dark suit. His short blunt cut had edgy side swept bangs across his face with his hair dyed blonde. The shiny ring pierced on his lip shone through his huge grin as he clapped his hands, walking towards Sanjounin's stage.

"That was a good performance!" the funky visitor commended as soon as he stood near Sanjounin.

"Really?" Sanjounin scratched his head in disbelief.

The visitor nodded, still grinning from ear to ear. He reached for a calling card in his suit pocket and handing it both hands to Sanjounin, he bowed and said, "My name is Yoshiki Morie. I am pleased to meet you."

Sanjounin froze and looked at the calling card the visitor gave him to verify if what he said was true. "Yoshiki Morie…" he repeated in complete shock. "Morie X's Yoshiki Morie?"

Yoshiki Morie nodded, still grinning, to affirm that he was indeed Yoshiki Morie of Morie X Productions, the biggest producer of Japan's famous jrock albums.

Sanjounin bowed back politely, regaining his composure. "I am also pleased to meet you," he acknowledged.

"Not much as I am," Yoshiki Morie replied cheerfully. "I am just here to see my talent! I have heard you perform more than a month ago and wished to contact you immediately. However, my schedule for the weeks that followed were quite hectic and then when I came back, you had disappeared!"

"_Gomen nasai_… " Sanjounin quickly apologized. "I was--"

"--There is no need for that. All artists are entitled to moments of mystery in order to find themselves," Yoshiki Morie replied in a very understanding tone. "What's important is that you're here now and performing here! I have persuaded Eine to make all arrangements."

"All this was from you, Morie-san?" Sanjounin asked in disbelief. He immediately bowed low before him to thank him profusely. "_Domo Arigatou Gozaimashita!_ I am very honored that you have done so indeed!"

"Again, no need to thank me immediately, Masato-san! I have made all this arrangements to make sure that you would have no reason to refuse my very humble request."

"What request is that, Morie-san?"

"That you became the next talent of Morie X Productions," Yoshiki Morie announced happily.

"_Nani_?" Sanjounin asked in shock yet again. He cannot believe what he was hearing.

Yoshiki Morie laughed. "I want to ask you to sign on as a rock performer for Morie X Productions," he gladly repeated.

Sanjounin was quite taken aback. He was very honored about this "request." Who in his right mind would refuse Morie-san? That was the only reason why Eine had signed him onto the stage in the first place! Not even Junichiro Asano would refuse a producer like Morie-san in his own club! This was a very startling thought! But of course, there was one other thing that actually stopped him from saying _yes_.

How can Morie-san understand that his fingers had a more sound calling to a _koto_?

"I am very honored, Morie-san, but…" Sanjounin paused for a moment. "… I would like to ask for just a couple of days to think about it."

"Oh?" Yoshiki Morie's grin faded into disappointment. "This is quite an opportunity, isn't it, Masato-san? Does it require thinking for a couple of days?"

With the twang of the koto's string echoing in his ear, Sanjounin replied, "_Hai_."

Yoshiki Morie shrugged. "Very well, Masato-san," he answered, preparing to exit. "I can be reached through the numbers in my card. Consider it well."

Sanjounin nodded. He watched Yoshiki Morie bow to him and he acknowledged it with another bow. He watched the great producer walk slowly towards the door of the club and saw the club immediately be filled with guests as though they sprouted from nowhere.

The stage lights went dark and then turned towards where he stood, with his guitar sling on his shoulder and his guitar in his hands. The many faces looked and beamed at him, awaiting his performance. Sanjounin could not understand the phenomenon and looked at the faces expectantly waiting for him to start, searching for an answer as to why the scene had changed.

But only one of them looked at him with the most reassuring of faces. Her affectionate gaze removed the fear in him and from afar, it was as if he could hear her whisper to him gently to begin strumming his guitar.

And then she disappeared, with all the faces of the audience with her. Only Yoshiki Morie's steps were heard as he neared the exit and only his presence remained there at the club.

"_Chotto matte!_ … Morie-san!" Sanjounin loudly called back.

"_Hai_?" Morie-san asked, stepping back when he heard his name.

"I think that there is no need to think about it now. I have decided," Sanjounin firmly told him. "I would be very honored to join Morie X Productions as its next artist."

Morie-san's grin returned and he beamed from ear to ear. "I still expect you to call those numbers on my card, Masato-san," he said, nodding. "To tell you about your recording schedule."

"Oh and by the way," Morie-san grinned. "I think you should think of a name to call your band."

"A name…." Sanjounin whispered, thinking to himself.

"Yes, a name," Morie-san answered. "Something that they will remember you for. Something that is catchy and all your fans would dream about calling!"

"A dream!" Sanjounin laughed. "It's funny you had mentioned that. I've had some strange dreams recently and every once in a while, somebody has lovingly called me a different name that I have felt myself quite drawn to it…."

Morie-san waited patiently, seeing the spark in Sanjounin's eyes and knew that his new talent had just reached a breakthrough.

Morie-san was right because Sanjounin smiled to him and said, "That name was… Nephrite."

Morie-san paused for a moment. "Nephrite," he repeated, grinning. "It sounds like a very successful name."

Sanjounin smiled as he saw Yoshiki Morie finally exiting from the club door. Yoshiki Morie never expected a no. His footsteps were slow. He was expecting to be called back again. But Sanjounin would not admit that his change of heart was not because of Yoshiki Morie's reputation but no one would believe it came from a short yet lovely vision anyway.

"I saw that!" Sanjounin heard Kenta's familiar voice tell him. "That was a quick change in decision." Kenta came from behind the stage and walked towards Sanjounin.

Sanjounin laughed. "You were standing there all along, Kenta-kun?" He removed the guitar sling from his shoulder and placed it on the stand.

"I saw that too," Sanjounin now heard Kamui's familiar voice. Kamui stepped out with a very serious Nishida following from behind him. "It is quite understandable."

Sanjounin laughed all the more as he saw Kamui emerge in front of him. "How did you guys learn to come out from nowhere like that?"

"Isn't this just natural of us?" Kenta asked seriously.

"It is," Nishida answered instead, prompting Kamui to look snidely at him.

"I just can't pass up a big opportunity," Sanjounin replied, changing the subject. "Morie X Productions will make me one of the biggest jrock stars in Japan. I just thought that I was destined to be the best in something else."

"You now realized that the pay with Morie-san is better than playing your _koto_ in Sapporo, isn't it?" Kamui asked.

Sanjounin nodded. "That and something else," he reluctantly replied.

"Like maybe something else in the past few days or months made you change from your passion on the _koto_ back to your guitar?" Kenta asked in a somber tone.

"That sounds a lot like you, Kenta-kun… but were you always this talkative?" joked Sanjounin, holding the tips of the guitar. "Maybe something in the past few months made you change too. As for me…"

Sanjounin knelt down and studied the strings of the guitar before him. "This just feels like the wrong kind of guitar," he muttered, sighing.

Kenta sighed. "I can't seem to remember what has happened in the past few days as well. It has caused me a lot," he replied. "I am supposed to do this groundbreaking play for Take-san but I can't remember that I have practiced for it … or my lines."

"Do you need help in getting back that job, Kenta-kun?" Kamui asked, thinking of his connections that might help.

Kenta shook his head. "I have signed back with Kin Beer," he sighed. "That should take care of things for now."

"I do remember you still hate modeling, Kenta-kun," Sanjounin chuckled. "This accident has caused us to do some desperate moves."

Kenta shrugged. "What about you, Kamui?" he asked.

"My father sent me here to make sure all is well in this club. With Sanjou-kun and Morie-san's partnership playing tonight, I'm sure it won't be a problem," Kamui answered. "He is concerned that all his assets are taken cared of with his new position."

"His new position?" Sanjounin asked.

Kamui nodded. "He is now the new prime minister of Japan," he replied. "They are making the announcement on television as we speak."

"You don't sound happy, Kamui," Nishida commented, quite bothered that Kamui showed no expression as he spoke.

"I am happy about it, Nishida," Kamui answered defensively. "I just thought that Hino-dono was a worthy match against my father."

"_Omedetou_, Kamui-kun!" Kenta congratulated, changing the mood of the conversation. "I am sure that your father can bring in a new age to Japan."

"_Arigatou…_" Kamui thanked him. "I am sure good things will still happen for you despite this accident, Kenta-kun."

Kenta shrugged again. "I am trying my best to remember what has happened," he said. "I'm sure that once I recall them, I will reap back all the things that I have worked for in those past few months.

"Me too," Sanjounin concurred, quickly remembering his quick vision earlier. "It would help if we all tell each other what we have remembered. These memories could all be linked back to that accident and we could then help each other out."

Kenta nodded.

"Kamui…" Nishida called, reminding his young master to agree and cooperate.

"Ah… _h-haii…_" Kamui answered, stuttering. Nishida immediately noticed his reluctance to reply but kept to himself his observations for the moment.

"Very well then, I shall go now and call Soujirou about our plan," Kenta told them, fishing his mobile phone out of his pocket.

"Where is Soujirou by the way?" Sanjounin asked.

"He said he has to spend time at Tokyo Tech to discover his lost memories," Kenta answered. "Maybe he has already found something on his own."

A mobile ring tone has sounded to interrupt the conversation. All four of them, including Nishida, reached out to their phones and looked to see who had called. But it was only a message alert on Kamui's old phone.

Probably not just a message alert. It was from Hino-dono's daughter, the _miko _from Hikawa Jinja. She was asking him to meet her at the Tomesatsu Shrine.

………………………………

Rei's heart nervously palpitated as she sat by the steps of the Tomesatsu waiting for Kamui. It was incredibly freezing outside. The mist created by her breath was so thick that she can't see her hands when she exhaled.

She glanced at her watch to see what time it was. He still was not there. She had been waiting for almost an hour. This is okay. The last time she had waited for him was after the _Obon_ festival when she had been dragged by Nishida to Kitawa Shrine.

Rei laughed to herself on the realization that the most meaningful times with Kamui had actually been within Shrines! At the Kitawa, Kamui taught her how to put wishes on a paper boat and float it in the pond. It was also then that he did not hesitate to take the opportunity to try and kiss her… until her hungry stomach blundered into making awful flushing and growling sounds that made her want to sink with the carp in the pond.

This embarrassing situation just wrecked the moment that day. Kamui was quite the gentleman and also remained a good sport for having missed that kiss. Or was that what he really felt? Rei now realized that she was too absorbed by that embarrassing moment for her not to focus on what's more important. If she had only paid attention, she would not sit there right now reminiscing and wondering what Kamui's kiss would have felt like.

"Then give me one more chance..._Kami-sama_…." she said, sighing as she looked to the ground in remorse.

As she looked down, a pair of high heeled leopard printed shoes showed up in front of her. The bearer of these legs cast her tight baby blue suited body all over her, casting her with the bearing as that of a queen, surrounded by two bodyguards in black trench coats.

Rei was surprised by this meeting and was disappointed to see that it was not Kamui who showed up but his mother, Aiko Asano. Rei bowed to her nonetheless and greeted a formal, "_Konnichiwa_!"

Aiko Asano gave a short bow to acknowledge. "_Konnichiwa,_ Hino-san," she curtly greeted. "It is quite cold out here. Do you mind going inside?"

Rei shook her head so the bodyguards immediately opened the door for the Asano matriarch. She could hear the sound of Asano-san's high heels clicking on the wooden floor as she stepped in. Rei soon followed inside as Aiko Asano chose the spot closer to the fireplace. Rei wanted to be as close to the hearth as possible as well but she kept quite a comfortable distance where she wasn't too close to Kamui's mother and at the same time, stay warm.

"He is with his father right now, helping him with the upcoming speech to Parliament," Aiko Asano said with her back still turned against Rei.

"_Sou desu ka…._" Rei said, sighing disappointedly when she heard, and even more disappointed that his mother had come instead.

"He had the greatest regrets of not coming here despite your invitation, but his father has just been elected Prime Minister, so you understand it, right?" Aiko Asano told her in a curt tone.

"_Hontou?_ Asano-dono…?" Rei gasped. The news of Asano-dono finally becoming prime minister has shocked her more because she had not heard of it as she was too busy with well… other things.

"_Hai,_" Aiko Asano replied, now turning to face Rei herself. "My deepest regret for your father's loss. I hope you extend our thanks and congratulations to him for being a good contender against Asano-dono." Aiko Asano bowed low to Rei to express her regret which surprised Rei all the more.

But Aiko Asano then stood up and continued to ask, "But like I said, Hino-san… you do understand that, don't you?"

Rei coughed, slightly confused at her insistence. "The people have chosen, Asano-san," she answered. "Asano-dono has won the prime minister position fair and square so--"

"--I am not talking about that," Asano-san interrupted. "What I'm talking about is that if you understand that Kamui truly regretted not coming here to see you because he has an important matter of state to handle."

Rei exhaled. She had no idea what that meant.

"Well… hardly an important matter of state. His father is a perfectionist. He wanted the first speech to appeal to a new and modern Japan so he wanted Kamui to hear him deliver it," Aiko Asano laughed. "Only Kamui can understand when to properly modulate his voice!"

Aiko Asano took a moment to calm down her chuckles. "But in the future, you will encounter bigger matters of state and as a wife of a politician, it would--"

"--_Gomen…_" Rei interrupted nervously. "B-but… what do you mean about that, Asano-san?"

Aiko Asano gave her a very uncanny smirk with her beautiful red lips of which Rei now realized was the same kind of smug smile that Kamui had inherited instead of his father. "What I mean is that I am now allowing you to have a chance in having a future with Kamui," she said simply.

The frantic thumps in Rei's heart rendered her speechless with both elation and confusion.

"_Nani..._Asano-san? Previously, you had asked Nishida-san to support Kaidou-san's proposal for me and him to--"

"--That was before I had squeezed all the necessary information from Nishida," Asano-san interrupted, waving her finger at her. "It seems that Nishida has been hiding the most important details about my son's pursuit for a suitable wife."

So Aiko Asano continued on instead. "I have heard from Nishida that Kamui was very much inlove with you," she said, adding to the elation in Rei's system. "He even took some steps to get our lawyer, Ohburo-dono, to give you a marriage proposal but which you refused."

"That method was hardly attractive," Rei replied defensively.

Aiko Asano nodded. "Whatever the case then, I am simply giving you a chance to rekindle whatever it is you have. This accident cost the memories for him and three of his friends and has made it harder for Kamui to settle back to normal. I was hoping that you can help him regain his normal self."

Rei nodded.

"I do have some limitations. This partial amnesia experience of his has been hard on his remembrance with Suzaku-sama and at the same time, Tominaga-san is trying her best to use it to her advantage." Aiko Asano's eyes rolled at the mention of Yuuka's name. "I think a healthy interaction of the three of you would help him remember what he had lost… even though that involves Tominaga-san."

Rei can't help but form a mischievous grin at the corner of her mouth upon knowing that even Kamui's mother is in this much agreement with her on Yuuka Tominaga.

Aiko Asano continued. "I am giving all three of you until the start of spring to try and talk to him about the past few months. If after that, he does not remember anything, then I would like to ask that you swear not to come near him again. The strain of all this might cause more trauma for him and it would be better for his own sake to simply release you rather than painfully try to remember things again. Aside from that, there is also his future to think about. He still did not forget that he is an Asano and any distractions like this might give him more media attention again since his accident."

Aiko Asano had managed to change Rei's feelings of hope and elation to frustration. Hopelessness even. Rei has been thinking of going to see Kamui and make him remember all this time but it did not occur to her that there was a deadline.

"It seems you are hesitant to accept this, Hino-san," Aiko Asano said, seeming to read her thoughts. "But I am only thinking of Kamui's welfare. If you are in the same place as I am, you would understand why I have to issue this kind of agreement."

"I may not be in the same place as you, Asano-san," Rei said, smiling weakly at her. "It's a completely different place but we may be in the same level of how we feel towards his welfare… so I completely understand."

Rei then looked hopefully at Aiko Asano. "Has he truly changed that much, Asano-san?," she said, biting her lip tensely. "Is that why you want us to help him return his memories?"

Aiko Asano sighed. "Yes, he has," she answered. "It's not that it has made him less of a man than he was before but you can tell that there was something in him that he had lost."

"I do wish that he had not lost them at all," Rei softly concurred.

"Then does that mean that you accept my terms?"

Rei tried to utter a word but she could not do so as thoughts kept battling in her head. _Was there ever a choice?_

"Hino-san?" Aiko Asano looked impatiently at her.

"_Hai…_" Rei finally answered. She did so looking straight into Aiko Asano's piercing eyes. "Whatever it takes."

Aiko Asano can't help but form a smile to show her apparent content with Rei's answer. She walked towards Rei and looking hopefully at her, placed her hand on Rei's shoulder. "Your mother always believed in the man she loved till the very end… which is why she never gave up on him," Aiko Asano told her. "I am pleased to see that you are like her -- putting Kamui's welfare before your own."

This brought a surprise to Rei. Kamui had briefly mentioned that his mother might have known her mother before but she didn't know that Aiko Asano knew this much detail. But what Aiko Asano said only confirmed what she had just recently repented of and was indeed quite an encouragement.

Aiko Asano bowed low to Rei as her greeting goodbye. Her two bodyguards then proceeded to open the door for her to leave.

Rei could hear the clicking footsteps of Aiko Asano's high heels exit through the door. She slowly walked towards the fireplace and waited until she could hear them no more. She put her right hand upon her chest and acknowledged that her heart was full of worry.

There were no guarantees. But like what Aiko Asano said, she was like her own mother -- she would rather take the risk and fail rather than not doing anything at all. Besides, if anything else, Aiko Asano has given her a good opportunity by opening all access to meeting Kamui.

There would be three months until spring. It was such a short time so there was no time to slink down and worry again. There was no _Hi_ stone now. Just her. And she, like Minako, had enough great ideas.

So she dialed on her mobile phone and called Kamui's number. The _old_ number.

………………………………

_Juichigatsu. Nijuyokka. (November 24th)_

"Cut!!!"

The shrill voice of Youji Take was something Minako can hardly bear especially when repeated for the fifteenth time and over the same scene.

"Can't anybody get this scene, right?" Youji Take sobbed in despair, burying his face in his hands.

Minako can hardly move in the new costume designed for her, which was like a huge gothic dress with a huge petticoat like that of Marie Antoinette. The ruffles on her neck and on her hands alone seemed to hide what she looked like but she could see her co-actor, Uematsu-san who replaced Kenta-san, be-ruffled in front of her so far.

"S-shall we try again, Take-san?" Minako painfully requested in order to alleviate Youji Take's suffering.

"_Iyaaaaaa!!_" Youji Take sobbed instead. "I have tried my best to salvage what's left of this play!!! If everything goes wrong now, I'll have to move the showing till December!"

Minako blurted a little shriek. She wasn't too happy about that. She wouldn't mind if Kenta-san was still part of the play but he isn't! And besides, another more month of Take-san is just too unbearable! She was just in this play for Kenta-san! Well that… and possibly other connections to other pop idols… but now of course, Kenta-san loved her in her past life and she….

Well, whatever it was! This can't happen! She started to panic inside and almost could not breathe in her tightly donned corset.

"I have mediocre actors… MEDIOCRE!!!!" Youji Take continued to scream in agony and threw the script in his hands in the air. "I can't understand how this happened at a time like this!"

"But Take-san--" Minako pleaded.

"I mean… all this happened because of that Kenta Maeda!" Youji Take complained loudly. "If it weren't for him, I would not have been SCREWED!!!"

"Take-san…." Minako whispered. Uematsu-san and Take-san probably can't see her turning blue in the midst of all the ruffles covering her face.

"Maeda made me lose my play!! Of all the things he had to do… he had to lose his memory! He had to have some accident!! And he had to do all that right in the middle of my own masterpiece! My breakthrough art! My big break to cinema!!!"

Minako could not take it anymore. The corset seemed to have tightened. The ruffles seemed to have blocked her nose from breathing properly. And her heart had set itself to panic on the thought that she would have to endure one more month with Youji Take without Kenta-san defending her and all the actors opposite her.

Minako could feel her whole system weaken and as her vision faded, it allowed herself to see one good vision of Kenta-san standing in the middle of the aisle in that theatre looking very handsome than all the Kin beer commercials he has ever made and shouting, "_Bakero, _Take-san…"

The entire cast panicked as they saw their lead actress fall with a sharp thud onstage with her petticoat raised in the air like a broken umbrella blown up in the wind. And for some reason, Kenta Maeda felt the most alarm seeing what had happened and found himself rushing to the stage to be by that actress's side to see how he can revive her.

Kenta Maeda quickly picked her up and gently placed her head in his arms. He ripped the ruffles off her neck and saw that her face had a comely disposition even when she had fallen into a swoon. But there was one thing Kenta could not understand when her pale lips whispered his name.

………………………………

Rei stood in front of the Diet building and stalled entering it by staring at its great height. It was only now that she admired this structure which had always seemed ordinary to her all because of this tiny hesitation of going inside to try to see her father.

Because of her newfound respect for her father, Rei thought that it would be good to at least go and still commend him despite his defeat in the campaign for the prime minister position. She had surmised that this is what her mother would have done.

But of course, it was not easy. Most fathers are always distant and Ryoichi Hino was even more so distant. How her mother managed to be close to such a man still remained a mystery to her.

Thus Rei still remained outside of the Parliament building, freezing in the chilly breeze of winter. She only need to brave this one little feat and then it would be okay. She could then happily go and meet Kamui and Nishida at the Sumida River, as she had planned the other day.

"_Ikimashou…._" she muttered, shivering and struggling to take that one new step.

"Rei-san!"

Rei was startled to hear the deep voice of Kaidou-san calling out to her. She looked up to see him walking down the steps of the Parliament building in a dark suit underneath his brown trench coat. Kaidou-san walked down the steps towards where Rei stood and as soon as he was very close to her, he took the dark brown wool scarf around his neck and wrapped it around Rei's neck as a second layer to her worn scarf.

Rei became even more startled at this gesture and exhaled a huge mist of breath on Kaidou-san which he didn't seem to mind.

"What are you doing freezing here in the cold, Rei-san?" Kaidou-san scolded gently.

"_Anoo…_ I-I…" Rei stammered with her cheeks burning in the freezing cold. "I have heard the news on the _Mainichi_ and I just wanted to commend my father for his campaign."

It was now Kaidou-san's turn to be startled to know that Rei had that much concern for her father's campaign. He then smiled and said to her, "That is very good, Rei-san, but his schedule is packed with meetings until next week."

"_Sou desu ne…._" she muttered, sounding disappointed.

"You do not need to worry. Life goes on for Hino-dono," Kaidou-san reassured. "He wants to move on and continue with the reforms he had started. I will make sure that he knows that you want to commend him on his campaign."

Rei nodded. "_Arigatou gozaimasu_, Kaidou-san," she thanked appreciatively.

"Rei-san…." Kaidou-san called out again as soon as she was to turn away from the building to leave. "I would like to take you home."

Rei raised her brows in surprise. "_Arigatou_, Kaidou-san… but it is not necessary," she told him uncomfortably. "I am not headed to Hikawa Jinja."

"Where will you be going?"

"To the Sumida River," she said, biting her lip.

"I don't mind taking you there, Rei-san, especially in this cold weather," Kaidou-san said, unfazed. He then gently pulled her arm to lead her towards the drive way where a black luxury Toyota just turned and stopped in front of them.

"_Matte kudasai…_." Kaidou-san instructed. He then turned around and loudly called, "Risa-chan!"

_Risa-chan_? Rei turned to look and saw that on top of the steps was a little five year old girl with her hair tied in two braids. She was wearing a cute little pink puffer jacket with a Hello Kitty emblem. She was actually talking to a couple of ladies dressed in a dark suits and she bowed low to them to greet them goodbye as soon as her name was called.

Kaidou-san's daughter bounced with perfect gait on the steps and was even more adorable when, as soon as she reached her father's side, she grinned cheerfully at Rei and greeted, "_Onee-chan!!"_

"_Sou ka na…_ she remembers you," Kaidou-san said happily as he opened the car door for both of them.

"Sit beside me, _onee-chan!!_" begged Risa-chan who pulled her into the car to have her sit in the back seat in between Rei and her father.

Rei felt quite uneasy over Kaidou-san's kind gesture especially now that she knew his daughter was with him. She didn't feel it was right to bother him at this time when he had this rare time to be with his daughter. But actually, Kaidou-san didn't mind at all. He tried well to hide his contentment over having Rei sit beside his daughter. Even Risa-chan was not at all bothered to have company sit beside her in her father's car because she kept staring at Rei as soon as Kaidou-san's driver moved the car.

"You are so very, very pretty, _onee-chan!_" Risa-chan said, looking quite starstruck as she stared at Rei.

Rei blushed at the touching remark. "_Arigatou gozaimasu!_" she thanked cheerfully and caught Kaidou-san grinning at his child's remark. "So are you, Risa-chan!"

"_Hontou_?" Risa-chan's wide-eyed expression happily came to her. "I want you to come with me again and play the fishing game with the _koi!_"

Risa-chan was talking about the time Rei saw her at the _O-bon_ festival and played the fishing game using the paper nets with the _koi_. "I would love to play that with you, Risa-chan," Rei expressed happily.

"_Yatta!!!_" Risa-chan almost screamed. "Let's play tomorrow!"

"Risa-chan… _onee-chan_ may be quite busy tomorrow so she cannot play with you," Kaidou-san gently reminded his daughter. "We will also be going to _ojii-san_'s house, remember?"

"_Sou you ne…._" muttered Risa-chan disappointedly.

"That's okay, Risa-chan," Rei reassured, squeezing Risa-chan's hand. "When we see each other again, I promise that I will play with you."

"Promise?" Risa-chan's face lighted up and she showed her pinky finger to Rei as a sign of promise -- _yubikiri._

Rei smiled at her. "Promise!" she said, then grabbing Risa-chan's pinky finger with her own pinky finger to seal the _yubikiri_.

The ride to the Sumida River was very swift and in only a matter of minutes and after some more cheerful conversation with Risa-chan, Rei had already arrived at her destination. Risa-chan was not too discreet in showing her dismay over her _onee-chan_'s departure and made Rei promise again to take her out to play the fishing game with her. Rei cheerfully agreed again because no one can ever resist such a cute child and patting Risa-chan's head, she said her goodbyes to father and daughter.

When she stepped out of the car, she immediately saw that Nishida was standing with Kamui by the shores of the Sumida where they had held the DLP summer campaign that year. She then wanted to run immediately to them but she heard Kaidou-san call her name once again.

Turning back towards his car, Rei saw that Kaidou-san had stepped out from his vehicle and was walking briskly towards her.

"Rei-san…." Kaidou-san began, strongly shivering in the cold. "I just wanted to say…."

Rei waited in wonder as to what that long pause meant.

But Kaidou-san smiled and said, "I just wanted to say that you were a good _onee-san_."

Rei can't help but smile at that. "Risa-chan is a very _kawaii_ girl," she commented cheerfully. "I have also made a promise to her. Please tell her that I will keep it."

Kaidou-san's smile now turned to a bigger grin. "I will," he nodded happily as he constantly shivered out in the cold. "I will see you again, Rei-san."

Rei waited until Kaidou-san returned to his car, which took quite long for him because he kept looking back and smiling at her. For that moment, she was very grateful because it gave her such a warm feeling inside to have made a child happy. She knew how it was to be a politician's daughter and for her to see that Kaidou-san was making an effort to spend time with his daughter was such a priceless moment.

She was in fact, walking towards Nishida and Kamui with a huge grin on her face that the two can't help but notice.

"What are you grinning about?" Nishida asked her casually.

"_Anooo…_ nothing really," Rei replied nonchalantly. Nishida will probably not understand.

"Maybe it's because you have two scarves on," Nishida commented, staring at the brown and purple scarves she was wearing. "Or is that a new fashion trend?"

Rei stared down her chest and noticed that she still had Kaidou-san's brown scarf on. No wonder he was shivering strongly in the cold! "Oh no…." she muttered guiltily and looked back but saw Kaidou-san's car had left.

"Is there anything wrong, Hino-san?" Kamui asked carefully, seeing the immediate change of expression in her face.

Rei shook her head. "I had just forgotten something," she answered. "But it's okay. I am glad that you have come, Kamui-san!"

Kamui-san nodded. "I am glad as well, Hino-san," he commented, rather formally. "What is it you want to show me?"

"I am going to stay in that shop," Nishida shrugged, gesturing to them both that he was shivering. "You can both take your time."

As soon as Nishida left, Rei once again felt that discomfort with Kamui as that of meeting him for the first time. She actually did not have this kind of feeling the first time she had met him. In fact, she was quite intrigued… cautious, but intrigued.

"I thought that it would be best if I took you to certain familiar places and help you remember, Kamui-san," Rei then earnestly told him.

Kamui nodded although he looked a bit uncertain. "_Sou ka na…_" he mumbled.

"I thought that you wanted to remember what has happened these past few months, Kamui-san?" Rei asked worriedly. "But… if you are--"

"--I really appreciate your help, Hino-san," Kamui interrupted. "I do want to remember."

Rei heaved a sigh of relief. "_Wakatta…_" she said. "This is the Sumida River. This is where the DLP had their campaign during the summer. My father and Asano-dono has sponsored some fireworks to be lighted over the river."

"Must be a waste to burn money on a campaign, isn't it, Hino-san?" Kamui commented sarcastically,

"I used to think so," she replied.

Kamui looked intently at her. "What made you change your mind, Hino-san?"

Rei sighed. She was looking straight at the answer. "There are just people powerful enough to change what you believe," she hinted instead, hoping that he would get that.

Kamui huffed and smiled, as if jeering at her answer and thoroughly disappointing her. But in truth, he had again despaired inside for saying the wrong thing to her again and he was jeering at himself for the blunder. "Is there anything here in the Sumida that I should remember?" he asked, not knowing that he had again said something that would greatly disappoint her.

"Y-you… don't recall anything, Kamui-san?" she gulped.

Kamui shook his head. "I wish I can, Hino-san… as you have brought me to a place that must've been memorable for me," he said honestly. "But however hard I try, I can't seem to remember anything."

Rei didn't answer. She heaved a heavy sigh which was evident to Kamui when he saw the mist flow from her breath.

"Maybe it's all different now because the river has been frozen," he told her, pointing to the icy river. "I am sure the Sumida would be like every summer with the fireworks in the sky… and their…."

Kamui paused for a moment and blinked, trying hard to squeeze a thought in his head. "...their reflections would be seen on the Sumida," he said.

And he had indeed seen it before -- the fireworks in the sky, the fireworks lighting over the Sumida… the people surrounding him… the stage of the DLP?

Kamui wasn't sure if what he think he saw was right and he would not risk saying anything that would give the _miko_ of Hikawa Jinja any false hope.

"It must've been beautiful out here," Kamui said to her.

Rei nodded. For awhile there, she thought that he was going to say something of merit to his memories. She was tempted to tell him about the time when they had a boat ride on the Sumida and about how he had dropped his phone to dodge all the calls from it because he had "kidnapped" her. But then, she restrained herself on telling the whole tale and chose instead to silently wrestle with her impatience.

"Do you… still use your phone, Kamui-san?"

"My phone?" he asked, fishing out the old phone that he had dropped in the Sumida. "I understand you have called me here, Rei-san. But this seems to be an old phone, isn't it? Maybe you should try calling me in this other phone."

Kamui fished another red _DoCoMo_ phone from his pocket and had no idea that the red one he currently is using is the one Rei had given him after he had dropped the other phone in the Sumida. The red _DoCoMo_ should actually be another memorable moment for him, if he cared, because Rei had given it to him saying, "I want to be your friend."

Yet it was obvious that there was no recollection at all in Kamui's mind and Rei could not see him getting through any of her hints.

"_Sou desu ka…._" Rei softly and disappointed responded.

"Is there anything wrong, Hino-san?" Kamui finally asked, seeing the transparent displeasure in Rei's face over his answers.

"I was just thinking…." she immediately answered, feeling a bit guilty inside for lying. "… that maybe you can feel more at ease at the Tomesatsu Shrine."

Kamui thought for a moment. "That's the place where you invited me to," he told her, looking pensive. "Yes… maybe we can go there next time. I have to go and meet with Tominaga-san in an hour."

"_Sou ka na…._" answered Rei, masking the heavy pain of jealousy she now felt. "T-this is… this is okay!" She tried her best to smile. "Next week is a good time!"

Kamui nodded. "Let's meet again next week! I'll have Nishida come here and schedule it for me!" he said, smiling.

The fact that she had to be scheduled with Nishida to meet him was something Rei resented at that time, especially since he did now mention meeting with none other than Yuuka Tominaga. So while Kamui called Nishida on his phone, Rei smiled and turned around for awhile to rest her jaw from doing all the plastic grins she exhibited in front of him. While she turned, she also looked down for awhile and waited for the chilly breeze of the snow to block the tears from falling. She could not let him see her cry. She feared that he would not do anything about it because he would not understand it. Besides, she thought it silly to cry over this little difficulty when she was just barely starting to help him remember.

The breeze was partially successful in stopping a downpour to fall but one such tear did sting in her eyes and that tear fell on the ground.

That tear even almost fell on the shoes of Nishida who had just arrived after his young master has called him on his mobile phone. Rei looked up and nodded to acknowledge Nishida, then immediately turned her head towards Kamui in shame at what his aide had just caught her doing.

"I will schedule our meeting with Nishida-san!" Rei told him, trying to sound enthusiastic. She then completely turned to Kamui and gave him a formal short bow as a gesture to leave and after issuing a quick one to Nishida, immediately walked briskly away from them.

"I s-shall… schedule, Hino-san!" Nishida's words blurred away in Rei's ears for he said that as she quickly walked past.

Kamui took a short glance as Rei Hino walked past and did not understand, nor even tried to comprehend what made her leave. To his credit, he was contemplating on nothing but what she had said over the Sumida. What he did later on was that he immediately turned to the Sumida and gazed at it for a long time, waiting for an epiphany of some sort to come running to his head. He was sure at that moment though that he had indeed seen a DLP stage on this very same place as the _miko_ from Hikawa Jinja had said. It was summer then and it seemed to be the toughest time when his father squirmed a bit in the car for sharing the same stage as Ryoichi Hino. There were even reporters at that place eager to find out the latest news about Saeki-dono's resignation.

But what… what is it in this river that he can't seem to remember?

Nishida was the only one who took the time to look at Rei Hino rush in haste away from them and did not avert his gaze from her until he was sure that she had safely crossed the street and safely seated inside a bus. He also thought that the insensitivity of his young master did not seem like an Asano trait. So he turned to Kamui and asked, "Do you want to fight with me?"

Kamui seriously looked at Nishida's raised eyebrow in shock. "_Nani?_" he asked.

"Don't you think you've gotten a bit soft?"

Kamui seemed even more bewildered with that. "_Nani_?" he asked again.

Nishida sighed. He took a cigarette out of pocket and lighted it at that point. "You have changed," Nishida sadly concluded, putting the cigarette in his mouth.

"Have I?" Kamui asked curiously.

"_Hai_," his witty vallet simply answered. "You were not afraid to say anything. If I offered to fight with you, you'd raise your fist and say, 'You know you have no chance, Nishida,'"

Nishida puffed some smoke out of his mouth, seeming anxious. "But now," he said. "You're just soft. You let a beautiful girl walk all by herself in the cold!"

A huge jolt came upon Kamui as soon as Nishida spoke that. He looked behind him but he saw that she was no longer there. "_Bakerooooo!!!!_" Kamui shouted aloud, punching his fist in the air. "I just did, didn't I?"

Nishida calmly nodded, puffing some smoke in the air instead.

"_BAKAAAA!!!_" Kamui shouted again with a stomp on his foot. "She was helping me to remember and I was trying to concentrate. But I guess I was too focused on that instead of…"

Nishida nodded. "Now you have to go and meet Tominaga-san."

"It is over with Yuuka. I remember that well," Kamui replied defensively, almost gritting his teeth in disgust over himself. "It seems that I have forgotten the nearly crucial ones only in the past few months.:

"And Suzaku-sama?"

"Suzaku-sama…." Kamui paused to think for a moment. "She has been lost to my memory too… and maybe she has the answers to the other things I'm looking for. How could I forget someone as popular as the Imperial Princess?"

Another puff of smoke came as Nishida shrugged.

"I have been stupid, Nishida!"

"Very very stupid," Nishida concurred.

Kamui slapped Nishida's chest with his hand and silently gritted his teeth as he turned his palm over gesturing Nishida to give him something. Nishida obliged. Kamui was in deep stress. So Nishida took a cigarette stick out of his trench coat, lighted it with the cigarette in his mouth, and gave it to Kamui.

"You better make it up next week," Nishida answered as Kamui puffed smoke out of his own cigarette. "I'll free up your Wednesday so you can show up at the Tomesatsu." He shook his head. "I remember I was hired to be the prime minister's bodyguard and not his son's secretary but here I am…"

Kamui nodded and puffed a huge amount of smoke from his cigarette instead. What he had purposed to do from the moment he has met _her_ was that he would never want to disappoint her again. Yet for all the cautious efforts on his part on guarding himself on what to say, he always ended being the _baka_ that he hated.

Kamui was _almost_ right. Rei walked towards the subway with glistening cheeks. The cold breezy air froze the few tears that had fallen. Now, she was sitting on the train and had pulled the brown scarf wrapped around her neck. For now, Rei decided that she would not think of all the disappointing events that had happened that day. She would prefer to think of the happier moments … one such time with Risa-chan and the kindness of one such man that had made her day.

- tsuzuku -

---------------------------------------------

**chiisai noto:**

Remember, Kamui = Jadeite. Kenta = Kunzite. Soujirou = Zoicite. Sanjounin = Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) I have an error. It should still be in autumn in November… but I wanted the snow to fall already. hehe! Anyway, in this world, we just had an extended time of snowfall because of the imbalance of powers caused by Elis in the Artic Circle. :D Also, I made another error. (So sorry for that.) Kamui's mother is named Aiko. I named Nanako for Kaidou's wife.


	25. 23: Perfect Match

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 23 - Perfect Match**

**Jisho/Dictionary:  
ANOOO**… Well… Umm...**  
ARIGATOU /DOMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASHITA**… Thank you**  
BAKA / BAKERO**… Fool / Stupid**  
GOMENE / GOMEN NASAI**… I'm sorry**  
HAI**… Yes**  
HONTOU...**Really**  
KONNICHIWA**… Good afternoon**  
KUSO**…A cuss word**  
MATSU/TOSHIE**… Matsu is a famous historical character who is wife to a lord, Toshie Maeda. She was known to be wise and powerful, even taking over Toshie's duties when he was off at war.**  
MIKO**… Shrine attendant**  
MOSHI MOSHI**… Hello (Phone greeting)**  
NANI** … What?**  
NADESHIKO** … Perfect woman (Japanese perfect picture of a submissive, beautiful woman)**  
OJII-SAN**… Grandfather**  
OMEDETOU**… Congratulations**  
ONEE-SAN**… Big sister**  
SOU KA / SOU DESU KA…** Oh… Is that so**  
TADAIMA…** I'm home!

**In the Previous Chapter:**

Kenta, Kamui, Soujirou and Sanjounin all wonder why they can't seem to remember what has happened to them in the past few days. The "accident" has caused many disturbances in their [present] lives.

Kenta Maeda did remember that he signed as a lead in Youji Take's play but could not remember his lines or that he had rehearsed with a cheerful girl named Minako Aino. He hesitantly took back his modeling stint under _Kin _beer once again. On the day that Minako Aino suffered under Take-san's directorial domination, she collapsed under tense pressure from the loss of her crush and also from a very badly ruffled costume. She thought that she had dreamt a very handsome vision of Kenta Maeda, not knowing that it was _the_ real one who captured her.

Sanjounin Masato was finally discovered, not by Makoto Kino, but by the coolest rock producer in all of Japan -- Yoshiki Morie. It seems that the "accident" has caused him better fortune. It even gave him a waking vision of a young woman calling out to him from the crowd and from it thus named his new band under Morie-san as "Nephrite."

Rei Hino had invited Kamui Asano to the Tomesatsu Jinja for her first attempt to help him remember, but Nanako Asano, Kamui's mother showed up instead. Nanako Asano gave Rei an offer -- help Kamui remember what has happened in the next 3 months. If she fails, Rei could no longer see Kamui again. Rei later took on the challenge and asked Kamui to meet at the Sumida River. Before she came there, she passed by the Parliament building to see her father and met Kaidou-san and his daughter. Kaidou-san was so concerned with Rei walking in the cold and made her ride in his car to go to the Sumida.

The meeting with Kamui at the Sumida ended in utter disappointment with Rei thinking more of Kaidou-san's kindness rather than that of Kamui's coldness.

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

………………………………

_Juichigatsu. Sanjunichi. (November 30th)_

Today was a day for contemplation. A rest day to juggle between one's toxic schedule and one's determined efforts to ease the disappointment caused by the "accident."

Kamui slouched on the huge sofa of the Asano living room and leaned back to puff circles of smoke towards the chandelier. He did that in between the times he looked at his mobile phone -- the old one that the _miko _of Hikawa Jinja had given him and wondered… _Would she think it fresh that I call her?_

In between that, he wondered why she had given him a worn-out phone anyway.

Kamui's faithful valet, Nishida, who was ever so faithful by his side by being "promoted" to be Kamui's 'assistant' (as recommended by Aiko Asano herself) grunted at the sight of his now affirmed boss becoming a couch potato and doing nothing.

Nishida also didn't approve the events that had happened recently. The first being that he had let Rei Hino out in the cold at the Sumida. The next one where he had insisted to meet Yuuka Tominaga just to tell her that he remembers her well and would no longer get back with her. (Well, this one got some of Nishida's approval except that he had to see Yuuka Tominaga begging again….) The third was that Kamui met with Suzaku-sama… twice.

Kamui reasoned that Suzaku-sama was lost to his memory and she deserved much respect being an Imperial Princess when his own father expected this match to work. It did not escape Nishida's notice that the reserved princess now outwardly showed her fondness for his young master. If there was no Rei Hino in the picture, he would not have minded that because the Imperial Princess was quite the _nadeshiko_ herself where Rei Hino seemed to be only in appearance. Suzaku-sama was docile and submissive. Having been schooled in K.O university, the best in Japan, and traveled all over the world as a princess, she was of course very knowledgeable and intelligent. And very agreeable.

Rei Hino was obviously not very agreeable. That was what Nishida thought intrigued Kamui to Rei because Kamui didn't want a _geisha_ for a wife. Kamui had once remarked that he what he wanted was a "Matsu for a Toshie." In short, a beautiful deputy by his side not just an attractive consort.

"Stand up, lazy _bakero_!!!" Nishida shouted as he couldn't help himself.

Kamui was startled for awhile and then calmly put down his phone and puffed some smoke upward again.

Nishida rushed briefly to stand in front of his master and restraining himself, he said, "You can't just sit here all day."

"I have no schedule for the rest of the week until the 15th of December for the first party held by MP Hanaoka," Kamui said and yawned soon after.

"Any other … _things_?"

"Suzaku-sama said she'll meet me later to treat me out for good Vienna coffee."

Nishida coughed. "And the _others_?"

"Others?"

Nishida raised an eyebrow. "Kamui… you _baka_…."

Kamui sighed. He held the phone up and looked forlornly at Nishida. "She hasn't called or texted me back." He then slumped back on the couch to puff more smoke in the air.

There seemed to be progress at least for Kamui obviously seemed crushed at disappointing Rei Hino, but for him to slouch in despair in his sofa all day? "This doesn't seem like you at all," Nishida commented.

Kamui sighed again. He raised his head up and then stretched over to kill the cigarette off in his ashtray. He rested his elbows on his knees and looked at Nishida. "Calculated risk," he told Nishida.

"_Nani_?"

"I remember taking risks, Nishida. It was no problem for me," Kamui answered. "But I can't take risks on things I don't know about. Calculated risks are risks you can manage. I can't take anymore than that because now that I can't remember things, I…."

Kamui lowered his head and paused to restrain the hurt in his chest. "I don't want to mess anything up again," he confessed.

Nishida sighed, feeling a bit sorry for him. "You didn't mess anything up, Kamui."

"I have this deep feeling inside that somehow I am partly to blame for what has happened… that at least all of us… Kenta-kun, Sanjou-kun, Soujirou… wouldn't have all ended up in the same place just like that if we did not have a hand in it."

Nishida nodded.

"And right now… all I know is…." Kamui grabbed the old mobile phone and sadly looked at its screen. "_She_ did not text or call."

………………………………

_She _was busy thinking of all kinds of devices as to how she would approach Kamui Asano. Although he was less busy, it seemed very hard to approach him. He was always engaged in a meeting with Suzaku-sama, who was, it seems, as determined as her to make him recover all the lost memories.

Well… maybe not as determined as her. Rei was certain that she was even more determined! Yet what was it that she was doing that was not enough? The few times that she attempted to meet Kamui, he could not remember her.

The only person probably happy here is Yuuka Tominaga. His memories of her were not lost. At least Kamui was certain that he and Yuuka are over! Now, all she could do is get back his memories before spring.

_Mattaku…._ by spring? What if she fails by then? Rei's almost fainted in despair just thinking about it!

RING!

Her phone, the red one… was ringing… with a call from… Nishida?

"_Moshi-moshi…"_

"Hino-san?"

"_Hai…._Kamu… Asano-san?"

"_Anooo…._"

"_Kuso…._Kamui!!" Now, this was the voice of Nishida talking, obviously irate.

"_Gomen!" _Kamui immediately bounced an apology. "Because you haven't called--"

"_BAKA!"_ Nishida… once again.

"_Gomen!!! Ano…."_ Kamui apologized again. "That is why I called. And…."

"It is… very good to hear from you again, Asano-san," Rei answered cheerfully and impatiently, trying to stop herself from sounding too enthusiastic.

"Really? I am so glad…."

A long pause, followed by a gentlemanly expression of, "_Itte!" _( Nishida, on the other line, had bounced a pillow off Kamui's head to stop him from sounding too wimpy.)

"There is a gathering of all DLP members at the Hilton Hotel this Friday afternoon. It is a celebration of my father's appointment as prime minister--"

"_Omedetou_, Asano-san."

"_Arigatou gozaimashita!_ I wanted to ask if you could come with me as my…."

Another long pause. (He was able to catch the next pillow that Nishida threw at him again.)

Kamui coughed. "Hino-dono is also a DLP member. We would be happy to welcome you both in that celebration."

Rei heaved a heavy sigh. "My father… is not coming, Asano-san. I had overheard from Ono-san that he has honorably excused himself from this event. But he is sending Kaidou-san in his stead."

"_Sou…._" Kamui's heavy sigh can be heard loudly from Rei's end. It would be impolite to ask Hino-dono's daughter to come to the DLP Party if Hino-dono himself would not be there.

"That is quite sad. So then…. would you like to meet after?" Kamui proposed.

"After?"

"_Hai…_ after the DLP celebration. Maybe we can meet around seven o'clock at the Ice Skating Rink beside it?"

"_Hai._"

"Huh?" Kamui was very surprised at the very quick reply.

But she was only happy that he could not see her blush and hoping that he didn't think that she was too desperate. "_Hai,_" she repeated. "I shall see you there at seven o'clock."

There was a long pause right after and only Nishida noticed it. On the other line, Rei heard a loud thud because on Kamui's end, his phone had fallen to the floor after Nishida had hit him with another pillow because apparently, Kamui had not noticed that he was wasting time grinning to himself.

"_Hai…_ as you said… I shall see you at the Skating Rink," Kamui said calmly after he had composed himself.

It was too bad that he wasn't able to see her smile as she hung up that phone -- the very first smile after these months. It would've been a fair accomplishment.

Yet Nishida seemed a bit worried. Pacing himself a little towards his young master, he leaned over and said, "That solves one problem. At least we would not create an awkward situation where you have to bring your father's daughter's rival to his own celebration."

"And what is the other problem?" Kamui inquired, still smiling.

"The Crown Princess herself is downstairs, expecting for your invitation to this event," stated Nishida, sighing. "And you have no excuse to give her."

Kamui quickly realized what Nishida had meant and his smile also immediately disappeared. "It is natural that she will be invited to the prime minister's celebration, of course. She is the crown princess."

"Not the invitation from your father," Nishida corrected. "The--"

"--I know…" Kamui shrugged. "Should she really come to this with me on her arm?"

"You did spend a lot of time with her more than this other one."

Kamui raised an eyebrow. "You confuse me, Nishida," he said. "All this time, I thought you were against this whole relationship with Suzaku-sama."

"I am only playing devil's advocate."

Kamui chuckled. "I don't remember that you were like this before, Nishida!"

"That is because you were not like this before as well. You always made firm decisions," Nishida stated. "I think you are the confused one."

"_Kuso…."_

"…._"_

"You obviously know what happened, Nishida. Just tell me and I will do what logically should follow right before that accident."

"_Baka… _You know better than to ask me that."

"Then why can't you tell me?" Kamui asked, sounding helpless.

"Because you might not like what had happened before," Nishida answered promptly, without hesitation. "You may like this new life of yours better. There is a great possibility that you would not return to who you were before that… 'accident.' But no one else should influence your future. You should make that decision yourself."

Kamui nodded to denote that he had understood and smiled weakly at Nishida. "I am going downstairs and face her myself, then," he said, completely resigned to his fate.

"It seems that what you would be doing is... "what logically should follow?" Nishida chided.

Kamui shrugged. "Calculated risk," he replied, smiling.

………………………………

Ami Mizuno felt a little bit uneasy as two hours passed and Soujirou Nishimura, who sat beside her, still remained focused on his laptop, playing on some computer language she does not understand. The people at Tokyo Tech passed by and could not help but give a strange look at them because they cannot understand why they sat at that bench in the cold.

Ami still felt comfortable in this temperature, thanks to three layers of clothing, a warm heated muffler and well… Soujirou Nishimura. She found out that although he could not remember her, he was still his very weird self, and that was something she could draw on should his memories return.

In fact, right now, Soujirou was busy fixing his website… his website _of her_.

"I am quite amused that I have built such an extensive website," he told her earlier. "It even has an easily updated calendar! I am just so good at these things!"

Well… never mind that the very obvious things still reminded Soujirou of himself.

"I still cannot fix this code, Mizuno-san!" Soujirou stated helplessly. "There seems to be an error which is why I can't upload some of your previous photos!"

"_Anooo…_ " Ami began, twitching uncomfortably. "… Why are you still doing that?"

"Mizuno-san… a good masterpiece that I have built like this cannot just go to waste!" Soujirou replied, his eyes fixed on his laptop. "Can you look at that? I am the highest ranked graduate of this university! I can't let anyone down!"

"But Nishimura-san… this is a website about me!"

"_Sou desu!_" he remarked happily and proceeded to type madly onto his laptop.

Ami sighed and felt very dejected. It seems that Soujirou would not be able to detach himself from his project. The very sight of her only reminded him of his "masterpiece._" Oh well_, she thought, i_t was good that he was at least committed to excellence._

Much like herself. But this time, she stood up and walked away from Soujirou Nishimura, feeling like the biggest loser because she walked away unnoticed. Only frostbite could gain the attention of Soujirou Nishimura until he successfully compiles that piece of code in his masterpiece.

………………………………

_Junigatsu. Futsuka. (December 2)_

Coming home from her last class that afternoon, Rei Hino was surprised at the specially parked black Toyota Prius in front of Hikawa Jinja. As soon as she reached the top of the stairs, Phobos and Deimos stood perched on the _torii _posts, whistling peacefully. Even with the defeat of their last enemy, Elis, those two would remain restless with any unfamiliar or unwelcome visitor such as the new mailman who would flirt with their priestess. So there must be some kind of strange power here to have overcome her two guardians.

Indeed there was because as soon as Rei opened the sliding door to their living room, there knelt her _ojii-san_ with his visitor, calmly sipping his tea.

"Your daughter is here now, Hino-dono," her grandfather said. "I will have to go now and tend to the Sacred Fire before it runs out."

Hino-dono nodded and bowed low to his father-in-law in a kneeling position while the latter reciprocated with a bow standing up. Then he continued to kneel there and sip his tea without looking back at her.

"Hino-dono does not usually stay long to take tea when he comes here," Rei's grandfather whispered quickly as he walked past her. "I tried to make tea just how your mother did."

"_Arigatou… ojii-san_…" Rei whispered back, gratefully, before walking forward and kneel on the pillow where her grandfather knelt, to face her father.

"_Tadaima…_ " Rei greeted with a short bow.

Her father nodded. "It's quite cool, isn't it?" he commented.

"_Hai,_" she answered, feeling so strange for her father to make small talk.

Her father sighed, releasing some mist through his mouth, as he looked around the living room. "It's been a long time … to be here," he softly remarked, glossing through his surroundings once more.

Rei nodded and could only guess what her father meant. There was clearly a brief sense of nostalgia there about these surroundings that seemed strange to him yet are just too familiar to her. But just like her father, he quickly snapped out of it and after sighing once more, coughed to return to his stern demeanor.

"I want to ask for a favor of you," he told her.

"What favor is that, father?"

"Tonight is the DLP Celebration to honor the new head of the DLP Party… the new prime minister…" he coughed for a moment, genuinely having difficulty to say it. "… Asano-dono."

"_Hai,"_ she quickly answered, being familiar with the event herself.

"I have excused myself from this celebration because I think that it is not yet the proper time to face him. Therefore, I am sending Kaidou-san in my place and I also want to ask that you accompany him as well. He shall arrive here later to pick you up at seven in the evening."

"But father… " Rei immediately reasoned without flinching. "Being there with Kaidou-san will make them all think that we--"

"--We can let people think what they think but it is not like that at all unless you have accepted his proposal," Ryoichi Hino interrupted. "The fact is that I would like to send a solid representation to this celebration as much as I can and you, as my daughter, would be the best representative. You were even present when I defended my Succession Bill so everybody knows who you are."

"I thought Kaidou-san always represented you, father?"

"In political functions, that is enough but this is a celebration. It would be better to send you, my own daughter who bears my name."

"_Sou…_" she sighed.

A small pause because Ryoichi Hino saw the obvious hesitation on his daughter's face. "Won't you ask me why I would not rather go myself, Rei?"

"…."

"My ambition to be the next prime minister was great enough that I worked myself up to be who they called as the best contender to Asano-dono. I have shifted from the DLP to the SCP and even went back to the DLP where Asano-dono was one of the few who actually welcomed me. But in the end, these steps backfired at me."

Ryoichi Hino's voice softened and his eyes glazed at her with humility. "I intend to face Asano-san when Parliament opens in the new year but meeting him at a celebration is rather difficult at this point."

Rei was obviously not convinced to go. The simplest motivation was that Kamui will see her there with Kaidou-san! At this point however, she heard her grandfather call her name and hearing the distress in his voice immediately welcomed this break and excused herself from her father's presence.

So she ran out there and only found her _ojii-san_ patiently waiting by the _torii _post where Phobos and Deimos still whistled peacefully.

"He obviously cannot tell you," her grandfather immediately muttered.

"Cannot tell me what, _ojii-san_?"

"He was able to say it earlier… that the tea I made is nearly like how your mother used to make it… but only nearly," her grandfather said. "I would say this was the most honest thing I have heard Hino Ryoichi-dono say."

"_Nani?"_

"I think what you he cannot say is that he is a sore loser and that is right!"

"Eh?" Rei can't believe her ears.

"Look at your father there trying to drown his sorrows in tea believing that's how your mother's used to make it for him. That's from a man trying to cope up with a huge loss, only now it is larger than life. He has sacrificed everything in order to become a prime minister and ended up losing it to a man who didn't seem to sacrifice anything for it."

"Wouldn't you say, Rei-chan… " her grandfather continued. "… that Junichiro Asano still has his pretty wife and his heir always by his side, eh? Yet your father now sips tea in our house … _alone_."

"_Sou ka_…." Rei said with complete honesty, as this is probably the time that she felt the most sympathy for her father.

"Then you must know what you should do then, Rei-chan?"

Rei nodded, smiling weakly.

Her grandfather nodded and smiled back at her.

That thus, Rei walked calmly to the living room and accepted to do what her father asked. Her father then immediately thanked her-- a very formal and immediate greeting of "_Arigatou_." And then he proceeded to say that Kaidou-san will be coming shortly in an hour to pick her up and issued another request to give a formal congratulatory greeting in his behalf to Asano-dono and his family.

And before she knew it, it was over. Her father stood up so quickly that she immediately rose to her feet and bow back at him. "I am truly, very grateful to you… my daughter," Ryoichi Hino said humbly, bowing for the second time. He tried to utter another word but quickly changed his mind and rushed out of Hikawa Jinja, walking briskly down its stairs after giving a short bow to his former father-in-law.

"You did the right thing," she heard her grandfather say immediately, jilting her in surprise as to how he seemed to have emerged miraculously in that living room in a few minutes. "Don't even think of changing your mind. You must prepare now."

Rei didn't even have the time to change her mind because there were only a few hours to prepare for such a very formal event. Kamui himself is there. That was enough motivation. But that itself presented another problem. What should a "contender's daughter" wear that is appropriate to congratulate his rival on this occasion?

The formal dresses she had were already something that they had seen before and even if that wasn't an issue, they seemed … too much. (As it turns out, fashion was always an issue in politics especially for women who wanted to impress the top politician's son.)

Fortunately, her _ojii-san_ had all the answers that day. He was lugging around a huge crate covered in brown cloth and laid that box in front of her, just as she was sitting contemplating on her 'fashion' problem inside her room. Her _ojii-san_ gently unwrapped the cloth and opened the wooden box's lid as carefully as possible.

"I have been preparing for the perfect time that you should wear this, having it ironed and washed regularly as though it would be anytime soon but …" her _ojii-san _chuckled. "… That engagement ceremony of yours isn't coming along any day now, eh?"

Rei laughed softly along with her grandfather so as to mask the fact that he was … quite right.

He then gently took out from that box the most magnificent _kimono_ that Rei had ever seen. It was of the richest crimson color with patterns and embroidery of _sakura_ and dragons. The symbols on that _kimono_ were a mixture of power and grace that were so elegantly laid on a long garment of silk.

"Your mother would be very proud if you wore this tonight," her grandfather announced proudly.

"_Demo…_ _ojii-san_… are you sure it is alright?" Rei asked, reeling from shock and wonder. "I mean… would it be good for this occasion?"

Her grandfather smiled. "Of course. Your mother wore this on the day she headed the winter ceremony in the Emperor's Palace and it was that day that your father decided that he would marry her."

"_Sou…_" Rei muttered, smiling to herself. Well… that sounds just about right for the occasion. If this _kimono_ is as magical and did the same effect for her mother, then it would do the same effect for Kamui Asano!

And so Rei was happily focused on donning on that _kimono _that Kaidou-san was not someone she was thinking of at that moment. That was until Kaidou-san himself was present at her door, looking so pristinely handsome and mature, with a bouquet of casablanca lilies in his hand.

_What has changed about Kaidou-san?_ Rei asked herself as she took that moment when he had appeared. Kaidou-san had said nothing as he calmly handed the bouquet of her favorite casablanca lilies to her. If there was anything about those casablancas, of course, that was a trademark that belonged to Kaidou-san. Not Kamui.

"I had hoped that these would make you happy even as you are forced to join me in this event," Kaidou-san smiled as he told her. "But I think that you should know that Hino-dono is very lucky to have a daughter like you. I hope my daughter would grow up to be the same."

"_Arigatou…."_ Rei muttered. She was really touched.

"Risa-chan wishes to say hello to the 'pretty _onee-san,' _by the way," Kaidou-san continued. "I was lucky enough to see her today even for a moment."

Then Kaidou-san remained silent during the entire ride to the Hilton Hotel. He was devoid of any other compliments for her. On previous days, she would have wished for this day when his compliments on how she beautiful she looked to him made her uncomfortable. Rei was thinking whether that _kimono_ was actually that magnificent.

But maybe Kaidou-san had a lot of things in his mind as well, as he had given a slight mention of only seeing his daughter for a moment. Yet despite these things in his personal life, the gentleman that he was, Kaidou-san gently offered his hand to escort her all the way from the car to the entrance of the Hilton. Kaidou-san's hand was trembling through the entire time, probably thinking of how to behave as a good "contender" to the triumphant Asano clan heading his current DLP party.

"It will be alright…. Kaidou-san," Rei smiled as she reassured him, squeezing his hand. "I will do my best to assist you in this."

Kaidou-san smiled. "I am glad that we are together in this, Rei-san," he said. "Even if this is just one time."

There was that brief moment that they had both enjoyed -- truly a rare occasion -- when the successor of Ryoichi Hino went to the most important gathering of the DLP Party along with Ryoichi Hino's only daughter and heir. And that they went there in full solidarity to represent the head of the Hino faction in the DLP, as though this was a perfect match.

Ono-san who was at that party, completely forgotten without Ryoichi Hino, had not realized that it would only take this simple action to put Kaidou-san and Rei Hino together. She was in shock just looking at them together and wondered how this had happened without her express knowledge. It seems Ryoichi Hino had deliberately left her out from this and successfully managed to put these two together as he had intentioned it to be.

But she was not the only one who realized it. At the center of the ballroom was of course the head of the winning DLP faction and his son. Nishida who stood by both of them the entire night was a witness to the highly astonished reaction of his young master as Nishida traced the source of his young master's stare towards the other end of that ballroom.

Nishida's eyes were of course still covered with his signature shades but he could clearly see the beautiful _nadeshiko_ in her brilliantly crimson _kimono_ walking by the arm of his young master's former rival.

It was then that Rei realized that among the many stares at her, the strongest gaze had come from the center of the room, from the place where the object of her coming to this celebration stood. But Kamui had long been staring at her in what now seemed like a mixture of shock and disdain.

But why is Kamui looking at her that way? _Is it possible that he now remembers?_

Rei quickly released her hold on Kaidou-san's arm when she had this thought. But only a few steps in rushing forward to Kamui to explain, she saw Kamui sigh and immediately walked briskly out of that room.

Nishida who was behind Kamui immediately whispered a _"Gomen nasai_" and quickly followed his young master before he could quickly disappear.

Rei actually had the same intention as Nishida in following Kamui but stopped in her tracks as the people before her dispersed and it was then she saw that Kamui had left a very surprised Crown Princess behind--Suzaku-sama, whose hands remained clasped in shame because her escort had walked out, leaving her.

- tsuzuku -

---------------------------------------------

**chiisai noto:**

Remember, Kamui = Jadeite. Kenta = Kunzite. Soujirou = Zoicite. Sanjounin = Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) I think I would only have a few chapters more because it's just too much suffering to continue on this guess work. I didn't want to work on an amnesia arc previously but I thought that having the shittenou awaken in the present time realizing who they were and having no complications just doesn't make sense with the original story. So here we are, with them not remembering that one important aspect… but you'll soon know why. The epilogue looms.


	26. 24: Old Dreams

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 24 - OLD DREAMS**

**Jisho/Dictionary:  
ANOOO**… Well… Umm...**  
ARIGATOU /DOMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASHITA**… Thank you**  
BAKA / BAKERO**… Fool / Stupid**  
DAIJOUBU**… It is ok**  
DEMO**… But**  
GOMENE / GOMEN NASAI**… I'm sorry**  
HAI**… Yes**  
KAMI-SAMA**… God**  
MATTE**… Wait**  
MIKO**… Shrine attendant**  
MOSHI MOSHI**… Hello (Phone greeting)**  
NANI** … What?**  
OBAA-CHAN/OBAA-SAN** … Auntie**  
OMI-AI** … Love matchmaker**  
SENSHI** … Soldier (in this case, referring to the sailor _senshi_)**  
SOU KA / SOU DESU KA…** Oh… Is that so

**In the Previous Chapter:**

After much contemplation in trying to work around his "calculated risk," Kamui Asano finally mustered the courage to call Rei Hino to invite her to the celebration party of his father--the new DLP leader and prime minister of Japan. Rei Hino regretted to decline the invitation but had to do so because her father already excused himself from coming.

Much to Rei's surprise however, her father came to Hikawa Jinja, and seemed to reminisce about a few things. Ryoichi Hino then asked his daughter to join Kaidou-san in representing him in the DLP celebration party. Rei was very hesitant in going with Kaidou-san but her grandfather insisted that her father was asking a huge favor because her father was still trying to 'save face and cannot face his rival yet.

Rei finally went to the celebration party with Kaidou-san wearing her mother's special _kimono_. However, as soon as she arrived in the DLP celebration party with Kaidou-san, she saw that Kamui Asano had walked out of the ballroom leaving the Crown Princess, Suzaku-sama, alone.

In the meantime, Ami Mizuno tried to be patient with Soujirou Nishimura, who she thought at first was interested in knowing about her but he was interested instead on the "masterpiece" of having built such an extensive website for her that he had neglected her even as she left him in the snowy outdoors.

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

* * *

_  
Junigatsu. Futsuka. (December 2)_

Kamui Asano's exit caused quite a stir because there were a lot of people who looked, wondering why the Crown Princess was suddenly without any escort. But the Asano didn't seem too worried with this situation, having had to deal with bigger crises on the country's state of affairs compared to this. Junichiro Asano already saw from his son's face that Kamui was not in a good mood at that time, and looked at his fair wife, who like him, continued to entertain their important guests without even considering the seeming distress of the Crown Princess.

Luckily, a kind gentleman was there to pick up from where Kamui left off and engaged Suzaku-sama in conversation. Rei was relieved to see that Suzaku-sama was immediately occupied enough for her to follow the trail where Kamui stormed off.

She was excited to know if there's a possibility that Kamui may have remembered something upon seeing her with Kaidou-san, enough for him to storm out like that. But before all this, there would be a kind interruption.

"Rei-san… is there something wrong?" Kaidou-san asked gently, not letting go of her hand.

_Kaidou-san!_ Rei forgot about Kaidou-san and he was just right there, holding her and escorting her all this time. For that moment, she had forgotten her purpose to come to this party--that is to be the chief representative of the Hino along with Kaidou-san.

Kaidou-san sweetly looked at her and waited patiently for an answer, while she tried to gain her composure in fending off her distress. But her grandfather's voice reminding her about her father's mission trailed in her ear.

"_I am truly, very grateful to you… my daughter,"_ echoed Rei's father's voice in the other.

"Rei-san…?" Kaidou-san continued to ask gently, squeezing her hand as if he had felt it was shaking.

"Nothing…." Rei replied, forcing a weak smile, as she took one last look at the direction of where she last saw Kamui. "There is nothing wrong… Kaidou-san."

Kaidou-san smiled. "That's good, then. I think we should go and greet Asano-dono before we sit down to dinner."

Rei nodded. She nodded reluctantly because there is nothing else she wants to do but run towards where Kamui had walked off. She wanted to know if he had remembered something… anything in his past… the past that included her which would probably be the reason that he had stormed off after seeing her with Kaidou-san. But this was no time for being selfish. This night was not about her.

"Kaidou-san!" Ono-san's shrill voice interrupted as if on cue, arriving suddenly at the place where they were standing and surprising them both with such a seemingly 'magical' appearance. "It's about time that you and Hino-san greet Asano-dono, isn't it?"

Kaidou-san nodded and looked reassuringly at Rei, "Rei-san," he spoke softly.

"_Hai?_" she replied, listlessly.

"If you are not ready to meet Asano-dono, then it is alright to tell me," Kaidou-san spoke honestly, smiling encouragingly at Rei. "We can always… congratulate him right after dinner."

"But is that proper, Kaidou-san?" she asked worriedly. "I do not want to be impolite."

"It isn't proper, Hino-san," Ono-san stated curtly, her voice rising in irritation. "You will embarrass your father by staying here!"

Kaidou-san paused, and calmly adjusted his eye glasses with his finger. "Hino-dono himself told me that this was a special favor granted by his own daughter to represent him. And so, she can never embarrass him.," he firmly told Ono-san in his stately voice. "Hino-dono and I are both confident whatever Rei-san decides."

Ono-san's mouth dropped open after realizing that she was just scolded by her own boss's right hand man, that she uneasily combed her hair with her finger and indignantly continued, "Then… you do what you think is best now… Kaidou-san."

There was no other recourse for Ono-san but to walk away after being told off like that. Rei was ready with an answer as she was not the type who would let such arrogant statements pass, but Kaidou-san's reply was enough to put Ono-san in her place.

"_Arigatou… _Kaidou-san," Rei said gratefully. "Let us now go to meet Asano-dono."

Kaidou-san smiled and nodded. He heard her breathe a sigh of relief and tightly squeezed her hand to reassure her further as they walked towards the center of the room where Junichiro Asano stood along with his chief DLP officers.

Surprisingly, Junichiro Asano immediately took notice of their arrival and smiled… or he actually grinned happily as he saw them approaching closer and closer to him. Rei thought that this sharp contrast of expressions where all the officers around him were engaged in such poker-faced and melancholy dispositions was extremely strange. Even Kaidou-san's disposition as he reached toward them changed, obviously noticing the suspicious faces that surrounded Junichiro Asano.

"_Sugoi_, Kaidou-san! I didn't know that Hino-dono's daughter would be this lovely!" Junichiro Asano immediately greeted, even taking the step towards them in order to bow first--which was quite unexpected. The prime minister has foregone all the necessary protocol by bowing to people who are more junior than him in status.

Rei and Kaidou-san were in shock for a moment and the mouths of the chief DLP officers surrounding Junichiro Asano also dropped. Then quickly realizing it, Rei bowed lower than she could and so did Kaidou-san only to see Junichiro Asano looking at them still grinning.

"H-how did you know, sir?" Kaidou-san asked, still reeling from surprise.

"From my secretary. He said that Hino-dono will send his daughter," Asano-dono replied.

"_Sou desu ka…."_ remarked Kaidou-san in a soft voice. "In behalf of Hino-dono, we are very happy to--"

"--Just as my wife said…." the elded Asano interrupted, still grinning. "You look very much like your mother."

Rei smiled, blushing from flattery. "_Arigatou gozaimashita,_" she said gratefully, bowing again in total gratitude (as well as to hide her red face from him.)

"_Sou sou…_ this is no occasion to keep bowing all the time, Hino-san!" Junichiro Asano scolded in a jovial voice. "As much as I am saddened by Hino-dono not coming to this party, I am very much honored that he has sent his beautiful daughter in his place."

"I am very honored to come here, Asano-dono," Rei replied. "We wish to express the greatest congratulations to you and we also look forward to the future of you as prime minister!"

"Hino-dono truly wishes he can come but he is engaged in an emergency so we also like to extend our apologies," Kaidou-san added.

Junichiro Asano looked at Kaidou-san for a moment, his face now devoid of any expression all of a sudden and turning the atmosphere quite eerie. He nodded at Kaidou-san to acknowledge. But this in sharp contrast to how he treated his rivals daughter becuase he suddenly changed when he turned to Rei Hino and smiling happily at her stating, "I truly believe that, Hino-san."

Thus, the cohorts that surrounded him now looked differently at her and she found them smiling at her as well. She now understood what Kamui has said of Kaidou-san in the earliest moments of their courtship -- that the DLP doesn't trust him as his loyalties were clearly for Hino-dono. One such that was exhibited here.

In that simplest moment, a lot of things were immediately clear. In the world of politics, no action ever exists without a purpose. Even a simple celebration like this, every action, such as one's attendance or one's greeting matter. But while Rei can explain why Junichiro Asano and his faction do not like Kaidou-san so much, she cannot explain why his favor is so great upon her when they came to represent the same side.

"Well then, Hino-san… I hope that this is not a time for bowing. No need to bow again in front of me or else this will turn into another ceremony!" Junichiro Asano joked. "I hope to see more of you in the future and I hope that you enjoy this celebration."

Rei nodded and smiled. "I definitely will enjoy myself, Asano-dono. _Arigatou gozaimashita!_"

Moving away from Junichiro Asano, Rei could not believe that this is the first time she had engaged Kamui's father in a conversation. Junichi Asano seemed like a very kind and friendly man. He was without pretenses towards the daughter of his contender and made efforts not to turn the moment to be an awkward one, as her father had feared. Now at least, that mission was accomplished and she could not focus on her own mission -- to find Kamui Asano, who happened to still be in disappearance even during dinner.

The Imperial Princess, Suzaku-sama, found herself seated to an empty chair that Kamui's mother, Aiko Asano, managed to fill by having the kind gentleman she was engaged in a conversation earlier stay in it instead.

Rei could not eat at all during that dinner as she concentrated on how to sneak out from Kaidou-san right after that, especially since he was very much attentive to her. Kaidou-san was making her a priority, denying all kinds of company to speak to when he saw Rei was out by herself. By all accounts, this was a good mark of a gentleman, especially of one Rei knew to have high aspirations for office and who she thought was like her father, forsaking all else just to be around the DLP.

But when there were only fifteen minutes to seven o'clock, Rei knew she had to be honest with Kaidou-san by telling him to go home ahead without her.

"Where will you be going, Rei-san?" Kaidou-san asked.

"It is personal."

"A date?" he asked candidly.

Rei nodded and did so looking straight at him.

"_Sou…_" he remarked softly. "Then it is no problem for me to take you there at least."

"_Daijoubu_...Kaidou-san," she gently reassured. "It is already taken cared of."

Kaidou-san nodded. "Please be careful then… Hino-san,' he said, squeezing her hand gently.

Then she left and he lingered for awhile. Kaidou-san was in fact lingering to still savor the moment that he had gone to meet the leader of the DLP party with the scenario that he had wanted -- as one of the central figures of the DLP and with the woman he loves. Yet he knows that as soon as he steps out of this hotel, he would go back to reality that it is still Hino-dono who holds that distinction and that his consort's actions just showed the fairest treatment of friendship.

The deepest feelings that Rei had reserved was for the Asano who seemed to have it all already… except for his last memories. Rei was hoping that Kamui Asano would keep his promise to see her at the skating rink at seven o'clock, just as he had said the day before, even when he had stormed out earlier.

She was frantic in asking for directions towards that rink with just a few precious minutes to go. So near yet so far. Very many turns and steps in reaching that great destination. Her heart beat faster when she had seen the sign leading to the skating rink and when she did open the door, she quickly glanced at her watch to see that it was exactly seven.

The door revealed the entrance where the skaters stayed before going on the ice. All around her, she saw a few bleachers that were all empty. And finally, the ice itself was empty.

7:05.

Her breath misted in front of her as she sighed in despair. And she felt the cold pierce through her silken crimson _kimono_.

_Kami-sama… will he stand me up again here in the cold?_

God was quick to answer because Rei's phone rang immediately after that question.

"_Moshi-moshi_?" Rei answered, picking up her mobile phone.

"Hino-san… I can see you from here. You went to the other side of this rink." It was Kamui Asano's voice.

"Kamui-san?" Rei almost shrieked in relief that he had called.

"Just stay there. I'll come to you."

"_H-hai…_" she said, smiling. "… but where are you?"

"Look to your left."

Across the ice showed another entrance to the rink where two figures stood. The other one was Nishida who stayed behind as soon as his young master stepped on the ice himself and was now walking towards her.

"_D-demo… _Kamui-san! Won't it be slippery?" Rei asked worriedly.

"No, because I will be very careful," he answered, sounding as contrary and fearless as the old Kamui as he walked on the ice with his mobile phone to his ear even though she could hear him clearly.

"I like this mobile phone you gave," Kamui added. "It looks very old and I thought that it was broken but it still works!"

* * *

The renowned Yoshiki Morie was now beginning to lose his patience. It is probably the ninth time that his new talent was retuning his guitar in his studio and this is just the practice for his first song! Morie-san could understand the nerves of these new artists but he could not understand the obsessive-compulsiveness of this particular one.

Morie-san then tapped into the microphone in the control room immediately that the static immediately agitated the entire band in the recording room. "Sanjou-kun, what's taking so long?" his voice boomed impatiently.

Sanjounin Masato then hastily tightened his guitar and smiled back at Morie-san. "Honestly, I am a bit… disorganized lately," Sanjounin confessed.

His new band members around him groaned. This confession didn't help. They already knew that their new artist was disorganized, having arrived three hours late for the recording session. They actually didn't know why this didn't sap the patience out of the great Yoshiki Morie, especially when they would only be playing in the background. Yoshiki Morie was intent to launch the new disorganized guy as a solo jrock act!

"What is it?" Morie-san then boomed some static onto the mic.

"_Nan… desu…_?" Sanjounin asked, surprised.

"What's on your mind? What is stressing you lately?"

Sanjounin shrugged uneasily. "It is nothing. I--"

"--Sanjou-kun," interrupted Morie-san's booming voice on the mic. He was also looking stern and straight at Sanjounin from the control room. "Because this recording session is costing me a lot of money, I need to know the distractions facing my artists. Therefore, you must tell me. Right now."

"_Anoo…_"

"It is only business."

Sanjounin nodded and scratched his head. "Ever since that accident, I keep having these dreams about this girl…" he explained uneasily. "Every night, it is a different dream as though we have been meeting in another planet, under the stars… And although it seemed like a scene in the movie, it was as though hers was a face that had walked before me."

"And it was destiny," Morie-san continued.

"Uhh..._Nani_?" Sanjounin squinted in surprise.

"It's a great song, Sanjou-kun," Morie-san stated in a matter-of-factly. "Did anyone else write that? He then motioned to about three worried assistants behind him.

"A great song… _Hai…_," Sanjounin smiled instead, feeling strange with his boss's reaction.

"I wrote the lyrics and that will be your new hit song as Nephrite!" Morie-san grinned happily as though it was his own epiphany. "You have worded it so well that I cannot re-word it any further. It shall remain as is!"

Sanjounin smiled instead and nodded obediently, returning to test his newly tuned guitar.

"If that was your dream though, then why do you feel… "disorganized?" Morie-san continued. "It's a good dream. Would you rather dream of other things?

His boss had a point. That actually piqued something inside of him. "Actually, no," Sanjounin answered. "I actually did not want to wake up, except that…."

Morie-san waited for an answer but his new talent seemed "disorganized" in his thoughts again. "What is it, Sanjou-kun?" Morie-san asked curiously.

"Except that everyday I am hoping that I would run into her… in this world," Sanjounin said sincerely.

Morie-san sighed loudly that it was heard in the microphone. "It is not impossible," he assured his talent. "Channel all those words into this new song and I will make it a hit. It is possible that you will meet _someone_ like her at least."

Sanjounin smiled and nodded. That Sanjounin began playing again and even ended the recording session with a successful track made Morie-san feel that he was again the best jrock producer.

In the meantime, Sanjounin really felt excited with Morie-san's assurance. Unlike Kenta, Kamui and Soujirou, he actually had more visions and flashbacks of his _senshi _that was manifested in dreams every single night. But like them, Sanjounin did not know what to make of these dreams. He did not know if these dreams were real.

They were only real before. Makoto Kino could attest to that, if she only had the determination to at least meet Sanjounin Masato. It was not that she didn't try. There were a few times she tried to visit his apartment and did not find him there, due to his nocturnal schedule.

Minako once asked if Makoto could go with her to see Kenta, knowing that Kenta was still friends with Sanjounin. But Makoto relented, being afraid at the risk of not being remembered. She instead opened up three new cooking classes that would entail her to work at least 12 hours a day--making her very busy not to even think of Sanjounin again. At least she would not have to remember him or even see photos of him at her home.

That would be very possible if a renowned producer like Yoshiki Morie had not stepped in to make Sanjounin Masato a star.

* * *

"_Maaa…_ what is it, _obaa-chan_?" Minako's eyes glistened in excitement. "Tell me! Tell me!"

"First, stop calling me '_obaa-chan_'," warned the stern lady in front of her.

"Ok, _obaa-chan!_" Minako exclaimed obediently.

The stern "_obaa-chan_" gave her a steely look to which Minako replied a sheepish, _"Gomen_." This stern "_obaa-chan_" was actually Minako's new _omi-ai_ and was someone she found online with popular recommendations as a "highly trusted modern dating service." True enough, "_obaa-chan_" dressed the part, looking like the very sophisticated woman in her 50s and with an office decked in red and pink colors of… love.

"_Gomen nasai, _Matsunaga-san," Ami Mizuno, who sat quietly beside Minako, apologized. "Minako-chan is just very excited to see the matches you have for her."

"Noooo! I'm excited for the matches that they have selected for you, Ami-chan!" Minako protested. "Matsunaga-san told me that she has a lot of good matches!"

Matsunaga-san squirmed. "Actually, I don't have any for Mizuno-san," she replied. "The characteristics that she chose were too idealistic. Can't we lower the intelligence level a little bit?"

Ami blushed.

"Why?" Minako asked innocently.

"Well… it seems that those who have that high an intellect are not interested to… get married," Matsunaga-san answered uneasily.

"That is not true! Ami-chan wants to get married!" Minako argued.

"I guess it is a rare occurence, Minako-chan…." Ami explained.

"_Sou desu ne…_" Minako sighed. "Then… what about me, _obaa-chan_?"

Matsunaga-san coughed. "The characteristics you gave me are too specific that it is impossible to find someone like that at this time," she replied with much irritation.

"How so?"

"Look at these things you wrote," Matsunaga-san pointed to the illegible writing on Minako's new application. "Actor-model type, light-colored long hair, six feet tall with model build, low voice, likes noodles."

Ami was completely dumbfounded with that list. Matsunaga-san is wrong. It is not impossible. Someone by the name of Kenta Maeda exists with those characteristics.

"How can you not find someone like that?" Minako asked angrily. "I thought you are the best _omi-ai_ in Japan!"

Matsunga-san coughed. "There are a few things I cannot do such as magically conjure someone like this. And even if they exist, I have to check if their preferred characteristics match with yours. In other words, even if he were here, would he be willing to date you?"

"I guess you are not the best _omi-ai_ after all!" Minako expressed angrily, now standing up and getting ready to walk out of that office.

"Please don't be mad… it's just the truth after all," Matsunaga-san pleaded weakly. "Don't you think it would be better if we just remove some characteristics or go with more realistic ones such as someone who's kind, sweet and loves to give gifts?"

But Minako already made up her mind at that moment. Despite Matsunaga-san's continuous pleading, here was one business that was lost as Minako already walked out of that office. A harassed Ami Mizuno managed to catch up quickly, dragging her heels in such hurried pace.

"_Matte!_ Minako-chan!" Ami called out, motioning for Minako to wait for her.

Minako eventually slowed down as soon as they were a bit far ahead on the streets of Shibuya. There was a marked sadness in her face that Ami could not ignore.

"I don't think she's the best matchmaker. I'm thinking of finding somebody else," Minako immediately spoke, giving Ami a weak smile.

"_Sou…_" Ami smiled back.

"But now that she put it that way, I have come to realize that all I ever know about Kenta-san was that… he is very handsome," Minako heaved a huge sigh. "I never did find out about what he wants or if someone like him will ever like me."

Ami immediately held onto Minako's arm, seeing that her eyes seemed to be nearly welling in tears. "Well you have listed down all the characteristics that you want in a man and it just so happens that there is only one of him," Ami told her. "But I am sure that there is somebody out there who will list all the characteristics that only you have and find that… there is only one of you."

"Of course," Minako responded cheerfully. "There is only one of me and that guy will surely be a lucky one!" She continued smiling for a minute then said, "Do you think that Kenta-san likes someone who is not as famous as he is?"

Ami chuckled. "It's just like you, Minako-chan. You never give up. I am sure that if you just continue meeting with Kenta-san, he will remember…."

That last word trailed away softly when Ami saw a hugely familiar face coming to greet her. Just a few steps in front of her, Soujirou Nishimura was walking with a huge grin towards both of them. And the scary part was that this didn't seem like a coincidence.

"_Konnichiwa!_" Soujirou greeted happily, agitating a surprised Ami and Minako.

"Soujirou-san!!" Minako exclaimed in disbelief. He was the only among the four of them that took the initiative to pursue one of them despite the recent loss of memories.

"_Konnichiwa_, Aino-san!" Soujirou grinned. "I got your name right, didn't I? My website was very accurate."

"Website?" Minako wondered.

"_Anooo…_ what are you doing here, Nishimura-san?" Ami asked politely, huge sweatdrop hanging over her head.

Soujirou's disposition immediately changed from being cheerful to being sad. "I have come to apologize for not paying attention to you," he said. "I guess I'm just excited to discover that I did something worthwhile sometime ago. But there is no excuse for that. I am truly sorry." He then bowed low to her, embarrassing the two women.

"_Anooo_… it is ok, Nishimura-san!" Ami exclaimed. "I understand. It is hard to lose your memories. And I only want nothing but for you to regain them back." (This she truly wanted. It is rare for Ami to confess something like this.)

"Thank you, Ami-san! Can I call you Ami? I myself prefer to be called as Soujirou by yourself."

"_Sou..._it is ok… Nishi-… Soujirou-san."

"I have also realized one other thing, Ami-san."

"What is it, Soujirou-san?"

"I realized that looking through the website, that you are probably the only other person in Tokyo Tech who is smarter than me…."

Minako stopped herself from giggling at that remark.

"… and the only one who's as fascinating. But the data in that website is old data. My memories are like that old data. I am not certain if I can retrieve them again. So I was wondering… if you are willing to get started on new data."

"I am lost!" Minako could not help but react. Huge sweatdrop mounted on her head. "This is too complicated!"

"What I mean is…" Soujirou Nishimura smiiled, staring straight into the eyes of a very enthralled Ami Mizuno. "Would you be willing to let me start again in getting to know you?"

* * *

_As it continues in the skating rink apart from the DLP celebration…._

Kamui walked slowly down the ice as his valet, Nishida, watched from the opposite side of the ice where Rei stood. He could see that there were mists of air from her mouth as she exhaled, waiting patiently for him to reach her. He could also feel his heart thump loudly as he could see Rei Hino was surrounded in a mist of white light and her red kimono now turned into a bright red gown that flowed down gracefully to the floor -- as though in a vision, which Kamui thought was probably the illusion caused by the brilliant snow before him.

She smiled when he had reached her, walking past the boundary of the ice in the skating rink.

"You stepped out of the room so suddenly, Kamui-san…." Rei said, smiling nervously. "I-I didn't get the chance to greet you."

"I was… I had to step out, Hino-san," he answered, his heart thumping nervously at the sight of her. "Can I be honest with you about something and I hope that you keep your mind open about this."

"_H-hai_," Rei nodded.

"It was as if I saw a different version of you today… you were walking among all these people but only their eyes were faced on you as if you were…." Kamui paused and averted his gaze away from her for a moment.

"...as if you were like Suzaku-sama. A princess," he continued.

Rei's heart jumped. He had remembered! Only… it was too far back for him to have remembered. What he saw was a vision of her during the Silver Millenium, remembering the time that she walked down the steps of the Palace on the Moon as they were being introduced by Queen Serenity. This was not the memory that she wished he remembers at the moment but it is a start.

"A princess….?" Rei repeated, gazing happily at him with glistened eyes.

"You walked and I saw you and I just knew that…. "

_I wanted you…._

But Kamui did not want to risk saying that at that moment.

"…. what I mean is that I remember Kaidou-san distinctly," Kamui said instead. "He was a man who played both the DLP and the SCP in deference to Hino-dono and I could not understand why you…."

Kamui paused again and stopped himself from saying what he had wanted to say. He struggled to speak and searched the right words but only the words in his heart lingered at that moment.

"… why you…."

"…why I…?" Rei asked softly.

"… why you chose to ally with him, Hino-san?" Kamui finally asked, with restrained irritation.

Rei exhaled. "He is loyal to my father and we only came here to represent him," she answered calmly.

Kamui Asano's reaction to Kaidou-san was the same as the day they first met and he did not have any reservations saying what he had in his mind about Kaidou-san. There was this part of his memory that he had retained.

"_Sou…_" was all Kamui could say. He looked at her calmly and tried his best to utter another word.

"He is a friend, Kamui-san."

"I don't like him, Hino-san."

They both were surprised at stating their conflicting views in unison that they then both exhaled in disappointment.

Rei nodded in resignation and looking at Kamui sadly, she explained, "I do understand why you dislike Kaidou-san but like I said, he is loyal to my father. At first I thought that he was only after his own interests but his loyalty remained consistent all throughout. I have only realized that these past few months."

Kamui sighed and walked a bit father from Rei to get his view on the skating rink. I understand that, Hino-san," he told her. "In politics, that behavior is understandable, even though I do not agree with that principle. But it seems that it is more than that."

_More than that?_ Rei repeated in her thoughts.

"When I saw him with you, there was something in me that felt so heavy and then angry… and I cannot understand why," Kamui said nervously. "Then I thought that this feeling would not have surfaced so powerfully if there were no logical explanation. And so I would like to ask you."

Kamui turned to Rei. "What was it about you that would make me think that it is wrong for you to approach my father as a representative of Hino-dono along with Kaidou-san?" he asked helplessly. "Was there something going on between us?"

Rei's mouth opened agape with surprise to be asked with such a direct question. Being direct was very much like Kamui although it appears that he is struggling with what seemed like an old persona of his. Still, she was not very brave to answer that because technically, nothing went on between them. Elis had disrupted them in the midst of their confession to each other that did not allow them to have something together officially. What was left was this seemingly hard courtship where a magical element got in between -- and that is very hard to explain.

Rei felt that she had no choice but to shake her head. "It is very hard to explain. I was hoping you would remember because…" she sadly paused, taking a moment to compose herself from this disappointed state. "…because if I had told you what I perceived, would you perceive it the same way? Would you still feel the same way?"

Kamui chuckled. "That's what my mother said," he replied. "And you are both right. These things are now new to me and I may not feel the same way if someone told me my past instead of me remembering the experience myself."

"But I still know what I feel, Hino-san," he continued. "I do not like him… I do not like Kaidou-san. I do not like seeing you with him."

Rei became even more surprised at this blatant confession. "Why is that?" she wondered honestly if this came from a past memory or a new revelation.

Kamui gave her his signature smirk, the kind that he gave her when he was shrewdly certain of something. "Because I know him," he replied. "His loyalty is to Hino-dono, not to you."

"_Sou…_" she sighed. _What a typical answer._

Kamui chuckled. "This is… quite a different date."

"Date? We are on a date? Aren't you with Suzaku-sama?"

"Are you jealous too, Hino-san?"

"Jealous? Too?" she asked in disbelief, wondering at the series of questions that Kamui is putting her under. "You were jealous of Kaidou-san? I thought that you were not inviting anyone as your date to this celebration which is why you asked me yet here you are with Suzaku-sama as well!"

"My mother insisted that I take Suzaku-sama because I told her that my invitation had declined. You said you cannot come because your father could not be present in this celebration yet here you are with Kaidou-san!"

"My father heavily insisted that I go with Kaidou-san to represent him, as his only daughter. We have not come together as a couple but you and Suzaku-sama--"

"--we have come together as a couple because my mother heavily insisted on it. We are in the same predicament, Hino-san!"

Rei stopped herself from answering, seeing that Kamui seemed quite irate and his voice was getting louder and sharper in tone. Kamui, on the other hand, mellowed down his disposition when he saw that she had stopped from replying and empathized with her disappointment. Yet he was secretly harboring some elation at her jealousy, however crazy that was.

"It is obvious that there was something going on between us before, Hino-san," Kamui told her. "Nishida would not have brought me to you to help me remember. You must tell me if it is deeper than a friendship so that I have something to focus on in my thoughts."

"It was…." Rei answered, sighing heavily.

Kamui exhaled quickly, reeling from that revelation. "How deep?" he asked again.

Rei tried to chuckle amidst her slight distress, "What can be deeper than that?"

Kamui chuckled. "You're right," he said. "I knew it."

And then he laughed. Nishida who was far from hearing their conversation, being on the other side of the rink, could not help but remark, "_Baka!_" upon hearing his master's sudden outburst.

"_Nani…._Kamui-san?" Rei asked, wondering and surprised.

Kamui smirked. "If I pride myself in being smarter than Kaidou-san, then I would be smart enough not to let go of someone like you."

"_Sou…" _she replied and quickly turned her gaze away from him so that he would not be able to see her cheeks turn red. It was too late, though. Kamui had already seen her blush that he sighed because he hoped that she could understand that it was not a compliment to flatter her. It was a confession.

While this characteristic of being upfront seemed typical of Kamui, what Rei expected was something more. Kamui usually would prefer to do something about what he thinks is right and then say something about that later. This was because he didn't prefer to be humbled with words and preferred to see results quickly. But Rei thought that this too could already mean something. She was getting too impatient waiting for Kamui to remember things one by one. Rei thought that this was the time to present him with that last artifact of remembrance -- the one that Kamui himself sent to her in order for him to remember.

"Is there something wrong, Hino-san?" he asked, genuinely concerned with her long silence.

She shook her head. "I just thought of something," she answered.

"What was it?"

She smiled and gently shook her head at him.

Kamui scratched his head and smiled back, "What is it, Hino-san?" he asked again, taking many steps closer to her.

"It is nothing," she replied again.

"Tell me, Hino-san," he pleaded impatiently, taking another step closer that he now stood just a few inches in front of her. "What is it?"

"Well… I don't know if you could understand… but maybe…."

Rei gently took Kamui's hand, and he could feel the coldness along with the shivering. Kamui was looking directly at her. He thought that this beautiful _miko_ was too strong to feel vulnerable but here she is, looking nervously at him. This thought strangely fascinated him as though he was the only one privileged to see this aspect of hers.

"There," she told him, looking down at his hand, for she had handed her something.

"_Mi-ko_," he said, reading from the fine calligraphy painted on the wood block that was placed in his hand.

Rei was expecting an immediate reaction--some sort of magic like the _Hi _stones that instantly stored their memories. Kamui anyway, asked Nishida-san himself to give this same wood block to Kamui right before he went to Elis, in order to help him remember. Kamui would not have done so if he didn't think that it was not effective.

"Hino-san… what is this?" was Kamui's initial reaction, along with a blank, dumbfounded stare.

Nothing.

There were no visions that interrupted his thoughts. No immediate flashbacks.

If that wood block can't help him remember, what can? Rei was too overwhelmed to think of anything. She felt her chest to be so heavy that she can not utter a single word. And just like that, she felt the biggest feeling of helplessness knowing that it could be possible -- nothing can bring Kamui back to her.

"Hino-san--?" Kamui called to call her out of her trance.

But Rei already ran towards the exit, forgetting everything else, that she bumped into Kamui so hard that he felt an ache on his shoulder.

Nishida, realizing that his young master's date was speeding away, ran across the ice and almost slipping in the process, called out, "Hino-san! Hino-san!"

But the door shut loudly before them before she could hear anything.

"What was that? Why didn't you run after her?" Nishida asked his master in disbelief.

"I don't know… she had given me this," Kamui answered, showing him the wood block with the word, "Miko" on it.

"And?"

"I don't know what this is, Nishida. Is this an important--?"

"--_Baka _Kamui!! You were the one who instructed me to give it to her in case something happened to you before you went to kill that huge monster!"

Kamui scratched his head. "What huge monster?"

"The message you sent me on text! The one where you said that she will be the one to save the world!"

"_Nani_ _yo…_Nishida?"

"Never mind that then!" Nishida grunted. "Just earlier, I heard you say that if you were smarter than Kaidou-san, you would not let someone like her go! And what did you just do?"

Kamui's cheeks burned of shame as he now looked towards the door where she ran.

"If you were yourself, Kamui, you would not just say things like that. You would just do it!" Nishida scolded. "And that girl is not one who knows how to chase after men! If you don't do anything, she'll fall straight into Kaidou-san's arms!"

Kamui swallowed hard that he was shamed by his valet and that he now felt the biggest pain in his chest. It was called disappointment. She had ran away and he did not understand why his first instinct was not to go after her. He would've held her to understand her better if not for the riddles of past and present memories that come and go in his head. Now, he was left with nothing but a useless wood block.

"Oi… Kamui…."

Kamui could hear Nishida call him but he was now listening more to the beat in his heart. It responded peacefully with every step he took as he now walked past the exit hoping to find _his_ _miko_.

Except that Rei Hino had been exceptionally fast. The adrenalin from all the emotion welled inside of her made her run like the wind even in her _kimono_. Past the many hallways and back into the hotel where the DLP were celebrating, she now stood in the lobby of the hotel.

Rei panted slowly as she now walked towards the entrance, hoping to get a cab back to her home as fast as possible. Or a quick magical teleportation as in this case that she was too desperate to get out of here. But before she could entertain any thoughts of transforming into Sailormars, an all too familiar face was waiting for her near the entrance of the hotel. Kaidou-san, it seems, had lingered too long than he was supposed to.

"Rei-san…" Kaidou-san called to her, looking very concerned. It was evident in her face that Rei seemed very distraught. "_D-daijoubu desu ka_?"

A single tear flowed from Rei's eye that she gently wiped with her hand. She cannot control the rest of them from flowing. "_Daijoubu desu… _Kaidou-san," Rei answered weakly. "Can you just take me out of here as fast as you can?"

Kaidou-san nodded and smiled. And then, he rushed immediately in front of her and quickly wrapped his arms around her. "I will," he assured her, hugging her tightly.

It is at this moment of timing when Rei felt the most comfortable in the arms of Kaidou-san that it was also then that Kamui Asano was walking into the lobby to clearly see the consequences that led to his

lack of courage. There was a bigger pain in his chest, much bigger than disappointment. It was a pain that seemed to incense his feelings at that moment. It was as though this had already happened before.

Just then, the flashbacks that Rei was hoping for, happened for Kamui right at that moment. Kamui-san at first thought that Kaidou-san was locked in something more than an embrace with _his_ _miko_--a kiss. But the scene had changed. The lobby of the Hilton hotel misted away. The sacred fire of Hikawa Jinja was in front of them. Two ravens flew past him with one flapping its wings so hard that it seemed to purposely hit him.

Kamui remained steady, trying to look impassionate. His lips were still. All he did was turn around and walk towards the shrine steps with hands in his pockets, trying his best to stay calm. The incensed feeling of anger was strong inside of him. Now he knew why he felt this way towards Kaidou-san.

Yet upon walking down the steps of Hikawa Jinja, he had gone into another place. This was the Tomesatsu. And it was only Rei Hino there… looking at the brightly lit sky where the fireworks looked as if stars melted gracefully into colored sparkles of dust.

"_It is too late now, isn't it, Kamui-san?_"

He could hear her voice, yet Rei Hino continued to stay mesmerized looking at the sky without having her lips move.

"What's too late?" Kamui asked.

"_--she is really above all good standards. And Suzaku-sama would make a really good wife--" _He heard her voice again despite her mouth eerily not uttering a word.

"WHAT'S TOO LATE, REI HINO?" Kamui asked angrily, impatiently wanting to know what she wanted to say.

"_If you would just marry me instead… K-kamui-san….b-because…."_

He bit his lip in constant impatience.

It was still.

Kamui was once again back in the same Hilton hotel lobby. New music played. Rei Hino and Hisato Kaidou were no longer in the entrance.

Apparently, this scene with Kaidou-san has happened before. It made Kamui angry then. It still made him angry now. From his memories, Kamui can only deduce that nothing between them is certain. Rei Hino had told him before that it is already too late.

It may already be too late. He could no longer make mistakes. His father is now the prime minister of Japan. Every step he takes, even that of choosing a bride, will be more crucial from now on.

What is certain now is that at least, there is someone with Rei Hino -- someone who will faithfully guard her side unconditionally. And that an Imperial Princess also waits for his answer.

Kamui sighed as he walked back to where they are celebrating the DLP's new prime minister. If he could only remember what it is that Rei Hino said, then maybe, it would minimize his _calculated risk_ -- and then he probably would make a more informed choice.

- tsuzuku -

---------------------------------------------

**chiisai noto:**

Remember, Kamui = Jadeite. Kenta = Kunzite. Soujirou = Zoicite. Sanjounin = Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) Ok… I had trouble writing this part. It is too sad. I have trouble writing the sad parts always.


	27. 25: Tender Priorities

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 25 - TENDER PRIORITIES**

**Jisho/Dictionary:  
ANOOO**… Well… Umm…**  
BAKA / BAKERO**… Fool / Stupid**  
DAIJOUBU**… It is ok**  
ARIGATOU /DOMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASHITA**… Thank you**  
DEMO**… But**  
GOMENE / GOMEN NASAI**… I'm sorry**  
GYUDON**… Beef bowl**  
HAI**… Yes**  
HANAMI**… Flower Viewing Festival (during the spring. They go out to view the cherry blossoms)**  
HONTOU**… Really**  
KONNICHIWA**… Good afternoon**  
MOSHI MOSHI**… Hello (Phone greeting)**  
NANI** … What?**  
OBAA-CHAN/OBAA-SAN** … Auntie**  
OKAA-SAN** … Mother**  
OISHII** … Delicious**  
OJII-SAN** … Grandfather**  
OMI-AI** … Love matchmaker**  
ONEGAISHIMASU** … (Heavy favor) Please?**  
OTOO-SAN** … Father**  
SHITTENOU…** Four heavenly kings, in this case, the generals of Beryl (Jadeite, Kunzite, Nephrite, Zoicite)**  
SOU KA / SOU DESU KA…** Oh… Is that so**  
YAMERO…** Stop**  
YOSHI…** Good

**In the Previous Chapter:**

When Kamui stormed out of the room upon seeing Rei with Kaidou-san, Rei immediately wanted to rush after him. However, as her main purpose in coming to the DLP celebration was not fulfilled yet, Rei soon met with Prime Minister Junichiro Asano along with Kaidou-san as her father's representative. Asano-san was very pleased to meet her but was only civil towards Kaidou-san.

When Rei was able to do these formalities, she excused herself away from Kaidou-san in order to keep up with Kamui Asano's date at the skating rink at 7 pm. There, they were able to meet and talk, until finally, Rei thought it was time to give the wood block that contained Kamui's written wish ("Miko") - the first wood block that he had written as a wish when he met Rei for the first time, and the one that he had previously asked Nishida to give to Rei to enable him to remember.

Sadly, Kamui was not able to remember anything, causing Rei to be overwhelmed with sadness at the thought that Kamui's memories may never be returned. Only when he was prompted by Nishida did Kamui rush to chase her but found her already being comforted in the arms of Kaidou-san. At this time, flashbacks and memories came momentarily telling Kamui that this scene with Rei and Kaidou-san already happened before and made Kamui think about his future.

In the meantime, Makoto already set herself a busy schedule so as not to see any trace of Sanjounin, which was too bad, because out of all the _shittenou_, only Sanjounin had flashbacks and memories of his _senshi_ everyday. There were too many that the great producer Yoshiki Morie asked him to put them all in a song.

Minako Aino, on the other hand, resorted to consulting an _omi-ai_ (matchmaker) to find her a match with characteristics too specific to someone like Kenta Maeda. Ami Mizuno was there to go with her, only to find an apologetic Soujirou, stalking… er… meeting her to ask for a fresh start.

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

* * *

...

_Junigatsu. Itsuka. (December 5)_

Ring! A drowning sound.

Click.

"_Moshi-moshi… Asano-san. This is Rei Hino." _

A pause.

"_About the night of the DLP Celebration party, I wanted to say… 'Gomen nasai' for leaving you so suddenly. I was so sure that you would remember immediately upon seeing that wood block… but I miscalculated. During that time, I forgot one thing - you told Nishida-san to give you the wood block that I had kept so it would help you remember. It was a wish you hung at Hikawa Jinja when we first met but then… I took it from the line of wishes and I had secretly kept it for myself…"_

"_And so I wanted to ask…"_

"_...how did you know that I kept it, Kamui-san?" _

She coughed and sighed. _"I had been rambling on this message. I only have little time. Gomen nasai, Kamui… I hope you forgive me… because I-"_

Click.

Another drowning sound.

"_Moshi-moshi… Asano-san. This is Rei Hino…."_

"Kamui…." A gruff voice now interrupted, as _her_ voice continued to speak on Kamui's phone. "This is probably the fifth time you have listened to that."

"Did you hear that?" Kamui asked, still listening intently to his phone.

"Of course," Nishida answered. "It has been ringing on your speaker over and over again. But didn'I I just hear you cancel the dinner with Suzaku-sama? "

"This is a very good phone," Kamui said, absent-mindedly.

"Yes, despite falling in the Sumida river."

Kamui nodded, absentmindedly ignoring that last comment. "Did you hear that? She said that she secretly kept the wood block on the first day I came to Hikawa Jinja."

"So?"

"That must mean that she already liked me from the first time we met," Kamui said, grinning.

Nishida shook his head very slowly. "At least you're back to being your overconfident self," he said sternly.

Kamui shook his head. "That was what she said, Nishida! But if it had been that long, then why can't I remember everything so fast?"

"Because you didn't know she's into you all this time."

"_Sou..._" Kamui chuckled. "I can't be that slow."

"She was too stubborn to change what she thinks until you slowly made her realize that she should be more open… and lighten up a little. She was too serious for a beautiful woman."

Kamui laughed. "_Aaaa…._" Now it had made sense.

"But you didn't change when you were with her. You were still stubborn...overconfident...very competitive… especially when it came to her and Kaidou-san."

Kamui's disposition now changed to concern. "You mean she made no difference on me?"

Nishida shook his head. "I thought you heard what she said on that recorded sound on your phone? She liked you from the start. That means that you had no difficulty being yourself around her… so you didn't have to act like the typical hero like you were with Tominaga!"

"It was a very different time then!" Kamui replied defensively. "I was very young and wanted to prove I am as much as big an Asano like my father and grandfather."

"Tominaga was _nadeshiko_ but a really _baka nadeshiko_," Nishida continued, without regard to what Kamui said. "She is only interested in-"

"-_Yamero… Nishida._" Kamui gave a serious and angry wince at him before Nishida could bring up any regretful subjects.

Nishida smiled. "Then what about Suzaku-sama?"

"I canceled that dinner," was Kamui's immediate answer.

Nishida nodded.

Kamui sighed. "Suzaku-sama told me that she didn't mind at all whether I was the son of a prime minister or the son of a fisherman… that she would be willing to be with me no matter what the world says."

Nishida nodded and raised an eyebrow. "Did you know that the Succession Bill was not passed, Kamui?"

Kamui shook his head. "I guess that means that since my parents are still pushing me towards marrying Suzaku-sama, that they're ok with me not turning into a prince?"

Nishida shook his head. "Your father already is on top of the world, with as a beautiful consort like your mother to be supporting his late nights and constant celebrations as the prime minister of Japan. He does not need you to be a prince. What should concern you now is your 'calculated risk.'"

"What about my 'calculated risk?'

"That now Suzaku-sama's rank is no longer a factor in considering her as your wife… and now all else being equal-"

"-My mother said that I should make the formal announcement of my engagement to Suzaku-sama at the end of March during the _Hanami_ Festival Opening."

Nishida suddenly got disoriented. "You mean Asano Aiko-san herself asked that you get engaged to Suzaku-sama?" Nishida asked worriedly. "Are you going to decide based on this?"

Kamui calmly searched in his pants' pocket and found a slightly bent stick of cigarette. He put then put that stick in his mouth and casually searched through Nishida's suit pocket for a lighter. "I know my mother said that for a reason… but she would not tell me what it is," Kamui smirked. "Do you know anything?"

Kamui had fished out the lighter from Nishida and gently punched Nishida's chest. "No, Nishida answered, coughing at that, and now briskly following Kamui towards the open balcony. "Did you already make your decision, Kamui?"

Kamui took a moment to sit down at the open balcony. He then lighted his cigarette with Nishida's lighter and took the time to take a few whiffs until he had incinerated half of his stick, making Nishida wait impatiently for his answer.

"I don't have a decision yet," Kamui honestly replied. He then took out his old drowned phone and pushed a few buttons.

"_Moshi-moshi… Asano-san. This is Rei Hino…._" the voice on his phone said for the sixth time.

"I just want to listen to this one first," Kamui grinned at Nishida, before putting the handset of his phone close to his ear.

* * *

...

_Junigatsu. Itsuka. (December 5)_

"_Konnichiwa!" _

It was quite a surprise seeing Haruka and Michiru at her door, showing the widest of grins. Makoto always liked visitors, except now, that her place is-

"-A mess!" Michiru exclaimed in huge surprise, walking past Makoto to survey the apartment. "What has happened, Mako-chan? This is so unlike you!"

There were a bunch of scarves on the sofa. Only around three unwashed dishes in the sink. Only two boxes of takeout that did not yet go in the trash that were still on the table. A cob web. The apartment was not itself a wreck but that kind of mess was already too much for someone like Makoto.

"_Anoo…_ I was quite busy," Makoto bowed her head in shame, especially since Haruka proceeded to walk towards to sofa to pick up a pair of scarves that were lying there.

"_Sou…_ is it really that bad?" Haruka asked.

"_Hai…_ I have picked up a new class during Saturdays too," Makoto answered. "So even my weekends are packed with-"

"-She meant the _shittenou_," Michiru explained, smiling at Makoto. "This is actually why we came."

Haruka nodded. "I hope the other three aren't in a very pressed state," she said with concern.

Makoto shook her head in panic. "No, no…" she contested, picking up a few of of her scarves. "My schedule is just fully packed right now that I don't have time to-"

"-_Daijoubu, _Mako-chan! We know!" Michiru winked. "Being busy is one way to forget, but Haruka and I actually don't think that this is what you want to do."

Haruka nodded again. "I remember that guy almost picking a fight with me thinking that I wanted to steal his girlfriend," Haruka winked as well. "He is not the type who will give up on you. You shouldn't as well!"

Makoto sighed and slumped herself on the sofa on top of her scarves. "It's not that I want to forget him, Haruka-san," she answered. "It's just… I just don't know how to approach him when he has done nothing when I saw him again."

"When did you see him again?" Haruka inquired.

"Outside of his apartment," Makoto answered. "He just… looked at me."

"And then left?" Michiru asked.

Makoto nodded, trying to fight tears.

Michiru then rushed to Makoto's side and gently held her hand. "_Gomen nasai_, Mako-chan," she said softly. "That's why Haruka and I are here. We want to help you all… knowing that we have caused you a bit of trouble with Elis. This is one area that we know where we can contribute."

"_Haii… _Makoto," Haruka comforted as well, gently patting her head. "Since Michiru and I work in entertainment, we have received some news about your _shittenou_… well, particularly yours and Minako's."

"My _shittenou_?" interrupted a highly enthusiastic, high pitched voice.

Makoto, Haruka and Michiru turned to the door and saw Minako standing with a wide grin and large starry eyes. It's wonderful (and eerie) how she arrived with such perfect timing.

"Minako-chan… what are you doing here?" Makoto, Haruka and Michiru asked in unison.

"I always visit Mako-chan!" Minako answered happily. "Especially now that she needs some company. I have also have been to the _omi-ai_!"

"You noticed that too?" Michiru said, smiling as her. "Oh well… since you are here, Haruka and I were talking about-"

"-My _shittenou_," Minako said, finishing her sentence. "You know about Kenta-san?"

"Uhh..._haii…" _Haruka answered reluctantly, as she wasn't down with her point with Makoto. "But anyway, why do you say _omi-ai_, Minako? Isn't that a bit old fashioned? Or maybe you mean to say a dating service?"

"_Sou kaaa….!" _Minako uttered happily, staring straight at her three friends, seemingly impatient for an answer.

Haruka coughed and patted Makoto's back as a sign that she'll get back to her. "_Anoo_… Minako-chan," Haruka began. "We have heard that he is going back to modeling… for _Kin _Beer. He will have a television commercial before spring."

"_Sou you neeee_…. " Minako said, unable to contain her excitement. "Is that's what he's busy with right now?"

"_Hai_," replied Michiru.

"So that's why he's not always attending Take-san's play… I wonder if Take-san was able to convince him to still take the lead role…." Minako suddenly got lost in her own thoughts.

"There is a chance that you can see more of him, Minako-chan," Haruka continued.

"_Hontou?_"

Michiru nodded. "There is an audition going for his partner in that commercial," Michiru explained. "Since this is _Kin _beer, they are looking for someone who has long, golden hair… somewhat similar to yours."

"When is this Michiru-san?" Minako immediately asked, without batting an eyelash.

Haruka and Michiru smiled at each other. Haruka then took a piece of paper from the pocket in her pants and handed this to Minako. "They are holding the auditions till the end of this week," Haruka said. "But I cal-"

"_Domo arigatou gozaimashita!_" Minako thanked appreciatively and before Haruka or Michiru could say anything more, Minako was already out the door as fast as she had come in.

Haruka sighed in amusement. "There's one other _senshi_ we don't have to help then," Haruka said in amazement. She then picked up her phone and pushed a few buttons. "_Sumimasen_, I'm just going to make a phone call to the casting director."

Michiru winked at her and then turned her full attention to Makoto, now that they were both alone. "I think you have the same fighting spirit as Minako-chan… _nee..._Mako-chan?" she encouraged.

Makoto smiled then got up to walk towards her kitchen. "I have a way of coping on my own," she told Michiru, as she calmly washed the three soiled dishes in her sink. "I have faith that everything will happen at the right time just as it did before."

"_Sou desu ka_?" Michiru asked. "What do you want us to do in the meantime?"

Makoto smiled. She bent down and took a medium sized pan from her cabinets. "Let's do what makes us happy," Makoto answered with burgeoning enthusiasm.

"Like what?"

"_Gyudon!_" Makoto said happily. It was her turn to wink this time.

* * *

...

_Junigatsu. Juninichi. (December 12)_

"_Gyudon_?" Soujirou asked in disbelief. "Are you sure about this?"

Sanjounin chose to ignore that instead. He scooped some of the cooked beef from the pot and gently put some of it on top of a bowl of white rice. Soujirou watched in amazement at how gently Sanjounin handled those newly cooked beef in the same way he would gently mix some chemicals from one test tube to another. Unfortunately, Soujirou did not have the expertise to deal with this kind of explosion, as what the _gyudon_ seemed to look like.

"Try it," Sanjounin told Kamui, who had unfortunately walked into the small kitchen of Sanjounin's apartment, exactly at that time.

Kamui stared suspiciously at the beef bowl that Sanjounin offered him and scowled back at the sight. "I don't eat the stuff you puke," Kamui answered. "And I can't get past that ruffled thing you just put on."

Sanjounin frowned. So typical of Kamui to be very sarcastic. "This is the only apron I found in my closet," he said, staring disappointedly at his own bowl of _gyudon._ "I didn't know I actually owned one of this."

"I didn't know you knew how to cook!" remarked Kenta, who sat himself on top of a mess of Sanjounin's clothes scattered all over his sofa. "If that's what you actually did."

Sanjounin opened one of his drawers and fished one of the plastic spoons he had kept in stock. He then forcefully scooped a spoonful of rice and beef from his _gyudon_ bowl and pointed it at Kamui. "It's actually very good," he told them in an irate tone. "You try it."

Kamui shook his head and calmly walk away from the kitchen towards the living room. "If Eine were here, I have a feeling that he would try it," he said, not realizing that this scene already happened before and that Eine actually did try it at that time (successfully wolfing down the horrific looking but delicious _gyudon_)

"Be brave then, Soujirou!" Kamui instructed.

Soujirou raised a giant sweat drop over his head. "Why?" his voice almost screeched.

Kenta saw the disappointment in Sanjounin's face and sighed. "Let me try it," he said bravely.

Sanjounin dashed to Kenta's side that Kenta soon found himself faced with a spoon of _gyudon_ in an instant. Sanjounin does not have time for any last minute reluctances. That as it happened, Kenta found himself swallowing that spoon of _gyudon_ with a terrified Soujirou and curious Kamui looking.

"_Oishii…_" Kenta remarked with a smile, still chewing. "It's actually good. It doesn't look good but it tastes good."

"_Hontou_?" Soujirou asked in disbelief, now scooping a bowl of _gyudon_ for himself. "How did you learn all this, Sanjou-kun?"

"This girl in my dream said that she believed I can do it," Sanjounin answered. "So I did. I thought for a moment that I had done it all wrong until I tasted it myself. I guess this girl in my dream was right!"

"Is this the same girl in your dream almost every night?" Kamui asked.

Sanjounin nodded. "I think that she may be that lost part of my memory… that she may be real," he replied. "Except I don't understand why I can't find her if she were that significant. Morie-san said that I should just concentrate on making her the inspiration of my song."

"Well she is real if you keep seeing her like that," Soujirou attested. "I have a website of Mizuno-san and I know she can't be a significant part of my life if I had not made something as extensive as that."

"You were a stalker?" Kenta asked, rather innocently.

"_Aaaa…_ Eine was telling me some stories about you that I can't remember," Kamui remarked. "So those stories were true!"

Soujirou had a bigger sweat drop on top of his head. "The point is, Kamui-kun… nobody as significant as that would just fade suddenly in our memories," Soujirou continued. "They'd be significant enough that we'll remember them almost every day, like Sanjou-kun."

"_Sou ka na…._" Kenta and Kamui mumbled in unison at that remark.

"I do not have any recurring memories," Kenta continued, looking quite disappointed. "This probably means that there was no one else that significant as….."

"Chiaki? Your ex-girlfriend all the way from Australia?" Sanjounin asked in disbelief. "I thought that was over?"

Kenta nodded. "It is," he answered simply.

And that was all he said. The other three waited for his answer but Kenta chose to brood on his thoughts instead, as was typical of what they remember of him.

"And you?" Sanjounin looked suspiciously at Kamui.

"I remember breaking it off with Yuuka," Kamui answered immediately. "I have already ordered Nishida to ban her from visiting my office."

Sanjounin smiled. "Quite defensive at that, aren't we, Kamui-kun?" he jeered.

Kamui shrugged. "Those are memories I wish I didn't have," he answered honestly. "I wished I was in the same predicament as you and Soujirou. Then everything else would be clear."

"_Sou…_ so you already know who you're looking for, Sanjounin?" Kenta asked, his face looking serious. "From these dreams of yours?"

"Not who, but what," Sanjounin nodded, swallowing another spoon of _gyudon_. "I already know the qualities I'm looking for as I see her in my dream. I'm sure I'll find her when Morie-san debuts my song about her. It will come just in time for spring."

"Find her? How do you find her?" Kenta mumbled.

"I guess you all haven't documented the women in your lives as much as I did," Soujirou said proudly. "Then all you have to do is make a list and then find her!"

Sanjounin, Kenta and Kamui looked strangely and eerily at Soujirou for his obsessed remark.

"But you should still consider yourselves luckier!" Soujirou said, trying to save himself from shame. "Kamui doesn't even have to search because they went straight to him!"

"Three women, in fact," Sanjounin added, delightfully chewing on his _gyudon_. "But now, it's just two."

"_Aaaa…_ it is in some other newspaper gossiping about you and Suzaku-sama," Soujirou told them. "They were wondering when the engagement would be announced."

Kamui gave a deep heavy sigh. "My mother said that I should make the formal announcement of my engagement to Suzaku-sama at the end of March during the _Hanami_ Festival Opening," he said. "But I have not yet decided."

"Do you have any solid remembrance of Suzaku-sama?" Sanjounin asked.

Kamui shook his head. "They seem to be fragments rather than complete memories," he answered.

Sanjounin smiled, knowing that look on Kamui's face. If there's anything he remembered well of Kamui, that was Kamui was always sure of himself. He never had this kind of indecision if there was a just explanation.

"Then she's clearly not the woman of your dreams," Sanjounin said simply, smiling as he swallowed a spoon of his _gyudon._

Kamui chuckled. "What about you, Kenta? Is there some sort of woman in your dreams?" he chided.

Kenta nodded. "Chiaki," he replied. "But it's not her."

"You're replying in riddles again, Kenta!" Sanjounin said, laughing. "This will not help poor Soujirou understand it."

Kenta smiled. "She is the only one I remember in my dreams lately, but I know that she is not who I'm looking for," he explained, looking straight at Soujirou.

Soujirou still appeared to be baffled. "And then who?" he asked, scratching his head.

"Just as you said, I will have to make a list and then find her," Kenta answered.

"Really?" Soujirou and Sanjounin asked in disbelief. But knowing Kenta, he never joked about anything, plus they remembered that tone well. It sounded more than serious.

Kenta nodded. "I do not have any memories of things in the past few months. What I have is only a gut feeling that I have met someone significant during those months who instilled some changes in me," he said.

"It makes sense," Sanjounin concurred. "I have rediscovered my love for the guitar."

"And I realize that I am good at chess," Soujirou answered. "Although, it is quite understandable as it is only a game of logic and strategy of which I am always very adept at."

"I like noodles," Kenta mumbled, his head bowed as he laughed to himself.

Kamui smiled. "Nishida said that nothing from the past has changed in me," he said. "But that it was the 'accident' itself that changed me."

"This 'accident' that we're all involved in… there's something in it that links all of us," Kenta said.

"All the more important to meet those significant people who have affected us during those months that we can't remember," Sanjounin told them. "I am sure this woman of my dreams will lead right into that."

"Then so will Mizuno-san!" Soujirou realized enthusiastically.

"And so will she…." Kamui and Kenta mumbled, staring blankly into the walls.

"_Yoshiii! _Now that has been settled!" Sanjounin announced, standing happily in his frilled apron while holding his empty bowl. "Who will finish the rest of my _gyudon_?"

* * *

...

_Junigatsu. Juyonnichi. (December 14)_

"Mizuno Ami-san!"

Ami nodded, puzzled at the identity of the two men in dark pinstripe suits who stood in front of her. They both looked at each other and smiled.

"Everybody recognizes you as one of the top two contenders to the Iron Grandmaster," one of them said. "I am Kenichi Idei."

"And I am Nobuyuki Takara," the other said. "We're the creators of the Iron Grandmaster. And we want you back on the show."

Ami's forehead wrinkled in bewilderment. "Idei-san… Takara-san… I don't understand, as first of all…" she cleared her throat. "… I am already the Iron Grandmaster."

Takara-san and Idei-san looked at each other and sighed.

"You do remember that on the last episode of the show, the last match was not completed because the other contender has mysteriously disappeared," Idei-san answered.

"And because of that, you are not the Iron Grandmaster," Takara-san continued.

Ami took a moment to realize the past events and then said, "Then that should mean that-"

"-the last deciding match must be done to determine who the Iron Grandmaster will be!" Idei-san replied enthusiastically.

"Between me and V-Knight…." Ami paused for a moment to understand. It is easy to find where V-Knight is but the problem is that until now, not even V-Knight knows he is V-Knight. That's a complication she herself is trying to fix until now, without much success, because Soujirou is only willing to know her present but not through regaining his own memories.

The two men remained unfazed though. "V-Knight is actually the best contender in the Iron Grandmaster. This show has remained at the bottom of the television ratings for the past two years until V-Knight drew so many fans to the show!" Takara-san added… a bit emotional and tearful.

"We had to cut the new season because the fan mail we have received is overwhelming in bringing him back. We decided to do your last remaining match just to save the show!" Idei-san said, wiping a single tear. "This is why we are humbly asking if you can come back to do just that one last match… that one last episode!"

Idei-san and Takara-san bowed low towards Ami. "_Onegaishimasu!"_ they pleaded in unison.

"_Anoo…_ but how will you find V-Knight?" Ami asked.

"Well… the search for V-Knight has already reached Osaka but we still have not found him yet," Idei-san coughed.

"But we're still searching for him," Takara-san added. "We are now in the midst of scouring Hokkaido."

"_Sou…"_ Ami remarked, wondering how they can miss him in Tokyo.

"But if worse comes to worst, we shall simply have a stand-in for V-Knight to make that final episode."

"And that would mean that you would automatically win the Iron Grandmaster!"

"_Nani_? That doesn't sound… right…" Ami remarked disappointedly.

Idei-san gulped. "It is not so much if you think so, Mizuno-san!" he tried to convince her. "It is either you or V-Knight who should win the Iron Grandmaster. So if he cannot be found, it is just right to give the prize to you!"

"_Hai!_" Takara-san concurred. "Rather than the actor who will play as V-Knight!" (But got kicked by Idei-san for that less tactful remark.)

Ami shook her head. "You don't understand," she said, sighing. "He will never let himself lose easily."

The two gentlemen shivered in their suits. "H-how do you know this, Mizuno-san?" they asked in unison.

Ami Mizuno smiled. "I have the distinct honor of being challenged by him," she answered, bowing low to them. "Which is why I cannot accept your offer because I just cannot desecrate his memory. _Gomen nasai!" _

Ami then rose up and briskly walked past the two men. Yet they managed to keep up with her and immediately outpaced her so that they again stood in front of her, blocking her way.

"_Gomen nasai_, Mizuno-san…" Idei-san apologized. "We did not realize how much regard you have for V-Knight… despite his rather odd behavior on the show."

"It seems that this kind of bizarre personality really connected with people, which is why he pulled the ratings high enough to make fans write us back asking him to return," Takara-san continued.

"We owe V-Knight a lot and we wish to do that last episode not only to keep the ratings up but also to honor him for making ordinary people interested in chess," Idei-san said.

"If you are interested, Mizuno-san, you can come on the show and help us find him," Takara-san proposed.

"Find him?" Ami repeated, her eyes shooting up with interest.

Idei-san nodded. "You can come on a few episodes and appeal on television to challenge V-Knight," he explained. "He may be watching on television and be attracted to your challenge."

"But what if he doesn't respond?" Ami asked.

"Then that must only mean that he wants you to win," Takara-san answered, as if echoing the words of the real V-Knight telling Ami previously that he will 'let her win.' "The actor appearing as him will still continue to be a tribute to his prowess in chess but a sign that means he thinks you should be the Iron Grandmaster."

"_Sou…_" was Ami's only response after a long silence. "I shall think about it then."

The two men nodded. "We hope you will consider, Mizuno-san," Idei-san told her, handing her a business card. "It is in both of our interests to have the real V-Knight return to us."

Ami stared at the business card for a long time as the two men slowly walked away.

_To have the real V-Knight return… _These words made the Iron Grandmaster proposal incredibly interesting.

* * *

...

"You probably have heard of the successful matches I have done which is why you have come back to me, isn't it?" The old woman shrieked so loud, it shook Minako from sipping her tea cup.

"Yes, I heard that you have been successful lately," Minako answered, trying to mask her disbelief. "Now it's like five out of three hundred fifteen matches. It's quite an improvement!"

"Well… word travels fast when you're popular!" the old woman continued to shriek. "This is why I prefer to use the traditional manner and still remain a an _omi-ai_!"

"That's good that you… _annooo..._choose to remain traditional. Actually, no one else thinks that they could find a match of my-"

"-requirements?" The _omi-ai_ laughed monstrously, scaring almost everyone in that coffee house. "I don't understand why no one else could! It's not hard to find someone who likes noodles!"

Minako coughed. "_Anooo…_ _obaa-san_… that is not the only thing I-"

"-I sense a good future of you with such a man… I am certain that you will have everything you asked for."

"_Yoshi!_ When can you set a meeting with him?"

"Like I said earlier… in the future."

"How soon in that future?"

"The near future? I don't know. It will take some time. This kind of guy is impossible to find."

A huge rock just dropped on Minako's head. She knew it was time to end this crazy conversation. If she were not that determined to get over Kenta-san, she would not have asked to settle for another one who's at least remotely like him. Minako sighed heavily as she walked out of that coffee house after ending a useless meeting, wondering how soon that near future the _omi-ai_ had promised.

As it turns out, the future was too near. He was just right behind her.

Kenta Maeda did not see the woman who had opened the door for him to enter just as he was exiting. He was too fixated looking at the list he had written on the piece of paper he was holding. He only stopped to look up and see if he was already at the right place.

"This is it…" Kenta mumbled to himself. Although he wondered why a so-called traditional _omi-ai_ would want to meet in a coffee house.

* * *

...

_Junigatsu. Nijugonichi. (December 25)_

Christmas in Japan would be slightly different for Rei and Kamui this year. The snow fell and didn't wish to stop. The cold just increases the somber tone and increases one's melancholy - Rei's longing and for Kamui, his indecision. Both emotions caused the same amount of hurt.

Kamui for one, had his old reliable phone (the one thrown in the Sumida) confiscated by Nishida. It's just not healthy to listen to messages of old girlfriends he has no recollection on. This Christmas, it is time to take part in a simple gathering because the elder Asano, the now grateful prime minister of Japan, wanted to celebrated a different kind of Asano Christmas. Faithful family and friends would be invited to his home for dinner! Nishida and his family were among them.

Rei on the other hand celebrated Christmas sharing an afternoon tea with her grandfather. The chilly winter set a draft that wished the ailing old man to get to bed early, leaving Rei to contemplate on her own winter by herself. Phobos and Deimos, cooed blissfully by their Princess's side, a gesture of reassuring her in their raven forms.

But of course, Rei couldn't help it. She took her cellphone and dialed Kamui Asano's number and actually expected that he would not answer. She after all ran away from him just because she had given up on him remembering. But humoring herself that he would at least pick up her call didn't work. The same pre-recorded voice requested to leave a message.

After the sound cue, Rei's mouth started mumbling empty sounds and her heart thumped utter nervousness. She already left a message before. Would he think her desperate if she left another one again?

"Kamui-san…" Rei began when finally her longing ruled over her pride. "Merry… Christmas…."

She had already mumbled the rest of the lines after her shyness had dissipated. She sank her heart onto it without knowing that the rest of her trouble would be in vain because Kamui's phone was not with him.

With only a sliver of hope that he would somehow forgive her for running off, Rei finally sighed and whispered, "I just hope...that it is not too late…."

And then, it ended there because near hopelessness, Kaidou-san had just stepped inside the house like an unexpected ghost of Christmas.

"Merry Christmas, Rei-san," Kaidou-san greeted somberly before sinking to his knees from the table across her.

"Kaidou-san… aren't you supposed to be with your family this Christmas?" Rei asked.

Kaidou-san breathed a heavy sigh. "It's this one holiday where I thought I would go here with Risa-chan, thinking that she would prefer to be with you," he replied. "But she said she would rather be with her mother."

Kaidou-san leaned against the wall and sighed. "There was a huge argument after that. Another argument that Risa-chan saw I made with her mother. Another destroyed Christmas."

Rei nodded. "_Sou..._I understand."

Kaidou-san nodded. "_Haii…_ I know you do," he answered grimly. "Do you remember that agreement we had about having children, Rei-san? You said that you would rather not have children-"

"-Because I do not wish to cause grief to them," Rei immediately continued. "Just as my father did to me."

"You must think that I am as worse as your father for not doing what I have promised," Kaidou-san somberly insinuated.

Rei shook her head. "You have realized this as early as now," she told him. "Then it would not be worse if you are thinking of doing something about it."

"I am," he said. "But it will cost me something great."

"Is there something greater than gaining back your daughter?"

Kaidou-san smiled. "My previous priority was getting every part of my life to accept having you to be my wife. I thought that after seeing you spending time with my daughter, that she was ready to accept you. I did not even consider Asano-san to be a worthy obstacle," he answered with complete honesty. "But today, as I ran out of the house to get away from hearing my daughter sob loudly again, I saw you once again."

"Me?" Rei asked in wonder.

Kaidou-san nodded. "I saw you back when you were twelve, the first time your father asked me to take his place to celebrate your birthday," Kaidou-san told her, a little choked. "I thought back then that your father had the wrong priorities...until I realized that now, I am having the wrong priorities myself."

A brief silence as Rei took time to find reassuring words. "_Daijoubu..._Kaidou-san," she finally mustered.

"_Sou…_ it took almost a year of courting you and only three days with my daughter to realize that I should first align my priorities...and keep my promises," Kaidou-san said and then gave a heavy sigh.

"But it isn't too late for you," Rei continued to reassure him (and feeling a sense of relief at that until…)

"So I guess this just gives Asano-san a huge window of opportunity!" Kaidou-san exclaimed, smiling that he could not help himself for making such a comment.

Phobos and Deimos instantly shouted at the sound of Kamui Asano's name, but Rei didn't share in their delight. She quickly stood up and turned her back on Kaidou-san to hide the glassy film already forming in her eyes.

"_Gomen nasai..._I was rude not to offer you some tea, Kaidou-san…" Rei quickly said to change the topic. "Do you want some?"

Kaidou-san was quick to realize the discomfort he had caused and didn't wish to destroy his Christmas any longer. "_Haii…_" he said instead. "_Domo arigatou gozaimasu_, Rei-san."

The interesting Christmas coincided within the Asano home. Junichiro Asano particularly wished to seize his own window of opportunity by taking his son out alone on the cold balcony outside of their home. He then pulled out a stick of cigarette from his pocket and handed it to Kamui.

"You can keep warm with this while we talk," the elder Asano told his son, who took the cigarette stick off his father's hand in great surprise.

"Do you want to light yours, _Otoo-sama?" _Kamui asked, surprised and shivering, as well as wondering how his father can take the cold.

Junichiro Asano quickly shook his head. "I hate that! It's ugly for your breath!" he said with great disgust. "Besides your mother won't let even my shadow near her whenever I even smell of one."

"So you quit because _Okaa-_"

"-Of course!" his father exclaimed. "That was enough motivation! You never argue with your wife on the little things!"

Kamui nodded and lighted his cigarette anyway.

"Speaking of wife-"

Kamui choked before he could exhale a huge puff from his mouth. He coughed loudly and incessantly while his father patiently waited until Kamui was able to catch his breath. He of course wished that his father would forget after that but seeing his old man unwaveringly standing very composed in the cold just meant that this was a major business issue.

"Let me continue… speaking of wife," Junichiro Asano proceeded with his previous cue, completely ignoring the noisy near-death choking situation of his son. "I want you to give me your decision about Suzaku-sama by end of next month. The Emperor has asked for an answer and wishes to give a straight answer to the press."

"Your courtship with Suzaku-sama has proceeded long enough that we seem to keep postponing the announcement of an engagement," his father continued speaking seriously. "I know that you are still recovering from this partial amnesia of yours but I know that you remember that you are still an Asano and that you remember that the choice of who to marry is more important for you than for just any normal person."

"_Demo Otoo-sama…_ the problem is that I cannot remember Suzaku-sama herself," Kamui calmly protested.

"You have been with her for a few days since the accident, didn't you?" Junichiro Asano said. "Then you have seen who she is. You also know what she is - a Crown Princess, daughter of the Emperor himself, and a fine lady who has been schooled and well-traveled just as you."

Kamui nodded. "I guess it is true what I was told," he told his father. "Even if you tell me who she is and what she is exactly to me, I may not feel the same if I don't remember her by myself."

Junichiro Asano gave a deep sigh. He then went closer to his son, carefully avoiding the whiffs of smoke that he made, and placed his hand on Kamui's shoulder. "The accident has come at a bad time and I wish that I can return your memories so that you would not be in this predicament," he said to Kamui. "But remember that there is only one Emperor, one Suzaku-sama but there can be many prime ministers. I cannot risk a PR crisis just because of this and be replaced like Saeki-dono."

The elder Asano gave a strong pat on his son's shoulder and then walked towards the patio exit. "I know you will make a good decision, Kamui," his father smiled as he told him. "You have never disappointed me."

That statement of reassurance did not help Kamui. It immediately sent a tinge of guilt, like a piercing icicle, down his heart. Shivering, he accidentally threw his cigarette on the snow where the flame instantly melted on the cold floor. But desperate to stay where he was to think, he bent down to retrieve what's left of it until a tall sturdy figure pushed himself out of the exit.

"I heard all that," spoke a gruff Nishida, with his hand reaching to Kamui for a fresh cigarette stick.

Kamui nodded in appreciation as he took the cigarette from Nishida's hand, then stood up to desperately light it.

"What are you going to do?" Nishida asked.

Kamui shrugged, preferring to put the stick straight into his mouth.

Nishida nodded. He put his hand on Kamui's arm and gave it a strong, firm pat that Kamui almost slid from its strength. "Merry Christmas," Nishida greeted.

"Merry Christmas," Kamui grimly greeted back.

Nishida smiled and then walked slowly towards the patio exit back to the party. That was until he felt Kamui's strong grip on his coat.

"_Nani-yo_, Nishida?" Kamui asked.

"Huh?" Nishida questioned in surprise.

"Why did you come here?" Kamui asked.

Nishida was pleasantly surprised. This was the old Kamui, the one who was too sharp to know that something was going on, especially with him. It was a surprise because he has not seen this kind of Kamui for what seemed quite a long time. The timing couldn't have been any better.

Nishida turned around to face his young master. He then took something out of his jacket and handed to Kamui the old phone that fell in the Sumida. He then gave his young master a huge pat on the back that almost made Kamui sink to his knees.

It was only when Nishida had completely exited that a heavy mist from Kamui's breath descended on that phone. Kamui had not exhaled this whole time and felt a huge sigh of relief to see that a message was registered on it.

"_Kamui-san… Merry Christmas…" _The mists from his mouth now came in short intervals as he listened to that familiar voice. There was a very long pause that Kamui stayed in the cold just to patiently wait for it.

"_Gomen nasai once again for running off and leaving you at the skating rink. I really hope that you have forgiven me for being too selfish because all I thought of was myself so that you would remember me. There may be other things that you wish to remember for yourself. Whatever those are, I am still willing to help you. I am willing to help you regain whatever it is that you have lost." _

"_I just hope...that it is not too late…."_

Click.

"Too late?" Kamui whispered to his phone. "What's too late, Rei-san?"

Kamui took a deep breath and exhaled all his frustration. The choice of having Suzaku-sama for his bride seems like the most obvious and easy choice. But it also seemed like a very heavy choice that Kamui knew he would be risking something great if he made it. He's just not sure why.

He was already shivering. He had been too long outside in that balcony. But with an almost frozen thumb, he gave a hard push on the button of his phone.

"Merry Christmas...Rei-san…." Kamui whispered.

"_Kamui-san… Merry Christmas…" _The sound of Rei Hino's voice warmly greeted him again from his phone.

_- tsuzuku -_

**chiisai noto:**

Remember, Kamui = Jadeite. Kenta = Kunzite. Soujirou = Zoicite. Sanjounin = Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) Sorry for the long delay. I've had one of those blocks and I am still continuing to write. Hopefully I get it through.


	28. 26: Pure Choices

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 26 - PURE CHOICES**

**Jisho/Dictionary:  
BAKA / BAKERO**… Fool / Stupid**  
GAMBATTE**… Good luck**  
GOMENE / GOMEN NASAI**… I'm sorry**  
HAI**… Yes**  
JA**… Later**  
KONNICHIWA**… Good afternoon**  
MASAKA**… No way/Oh no**  
MATTE**… Wait**  
MATTAKU**… Gosh/Geez (irritated)**  
MIKO**… Shrine attendant**  
MOSHI MOSHI**… Hello (Phone greeting)**  
NANI** … What?**  
SOU KA / SOU DESU KA…** Oh… Is that so**  
SUGOI** … Great**  
WARUI** … Bad

**In the Previous Chapter:**

The _senshi _continue to cope with the current situation of missing their _shittenou_ who still have not recovered their memories after the battle with Elis. Makoto tried to keep herself busy in order in order to forget, while Minako continues to pursue an _omi-ai_ in order to find someone who at least closely resembles Kenta's characteristics. Ami received an offer from the producers of Iron Grandmaster to battle the next V-Knight and thought at first to desecrate the work of the original V-Knight, but then thought it would be the best way to have him remember her.

Christmas Day came and Rei left another apologetic voice message to Kamui. At the end of that, Kaidou-san came alone to Hikawa Jinja and told Rei how he had realized he had wrongly put his priority on marrying her instead of on his daughter. Kamui in the meantime, was confronted by his father to give a decision by next month on whether he would marry the Crown Princess so as not to risk bad PR from prolonging the engagement. Kamui is now tasked to think upon this decision soon despite him not remembering Suzaku-sama or Rei Hino.

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

* * *

...

_Mikka. Ichigatsu. (January 3)_

The New Year has already arrived and there was not much euphoria at its arrival.

This would be the first live episode of the much awaited Iron Grandmaster television show and there are only fifteen minutes left until its airing. Its main star, Ami Mizuno, cannot sit still for having second thoughts about going through with it. Across the stage, she saw the impostor who would play V-Knight. Ami already judged that he was all wrong. Even the mask was wrong.

The assistant director yelled that there were ten minutes to airing but Ami's conscience just couldn't take it so she had to take matters her own way. She ran to where the two producers sat and panting, told them, "_Gomen nasai…_ but I will not go through with this show."

The glee at having their own hit show back on air immediately disappeared from Idei-and Takara-san's faces with Ami's announcement. They both stood up at the same time and demanded why.

"I changed my mind," Ami firmly answered. "I can't desecrate the memory of the real V-Knight!"

"I thought we had agreed on this," Idei-san irritatingly reiterated. "That we would be honoring him further if you will prove he is the real Iron Grandmaster! All you have to do is pretend to lose."

"I thought that I would be honoring him by showing to the world once again that he is the rightful Iron Grandmaster," Ami explained nervously. "But a lie can't do that!"

"Five minutes! Everyone onstage!" yelled the assistant director, pulling Ami Mizuno onto the stage and pushed her on the seat where a chess board was in place.

The events were all too sudden that Ami already heard her name being announced as "The Amazing Challenger to the Illustrious and Brave V-Knight" that set the producers grinning in excitement. It was too late now. She was already forced into the limelight and with nowhere to go. This had only set her mind in fury, especially that the fake V-Knight came to sit at his place in front of her to start their own game of chess.

But Ami now has a plan, one that may cause the biggest stir in public television once she had put it in motion. The crucial trigger for this plan was for her to first defy the original agreement and first win, which is why as soon as she sat down, she turned her focus onto the chess board and was in too much of a hurry to pick up the pieces to beat her opponent.

At five minutes, it was the biggest upset. The producers Idei-san and Takara-san's mouths were all agape at the easiest Check Mate on Iron Grandmaster television. Even the announcer did not have time to chronicle the moves and was too shocked to announce the winner. There was instead a long silence that followed, and Ami used this time to arrange her composure and let the fury within her settle down.

She then flipped the mask off "V-Knight" sending the audience into gasps.

The face behind this V-Knight was not the face of Soujirou Nishimura. The sad fact of the matter was that Ami was the only one who knew that. By some magical force or just professional skill at dressing up in any costume, Soujirou was able to slip away easily with his mask without anyone knowing his true identity.

"This is not V-Knight!" Ami pronounced, sending another canned gasp from the audience. "The real V-Knight would not have beaten me easily like that!" Ami said this to prove another point since no one has really known the real V-Knight.

The director wanted to pull a commercial considering that this was not part of the script but the two producers halted him at once. This would make a better story and their choice would enable Ami to move on with a plan that could possible set the public hunt for the real V-Knight, prompting this real one to make him remember.

Ami turned directly to the audience and with complete determination, stated, "I challenge the real V-Knight to come over and prove that he is the real Iron Grandmaster. Prove to the world that you can beat me!"

The audience was set into an uproar upon which the announcer continued to repeat her challenge in complete excitement. "To you, V-Knight!" the announcer exclaimed. "You have 30 days to respond! The hunt for the real V-Knight starts now!"

Despite all the excitement taken in by the audience and producers, Ami Mizuno could only hope that what she did could work. There are only 30 days. This sent the ratings higher and the producers in euphoria at the effort that Ami Mizuno unknowingly started.

But the passion that Ami Mizuno poured into that announcement on national television was futile at this point.

Soujirou Nishimura was not watching it. The past few weeks, he was having more dreams. One dream he he kept secret was the one where he saw himself wearing the stately robes of a prince, complete with a cape, a baton and something extra - a red mask. This alter ego of him held Ami Mizuno in his arms while he saw his own shabby self holding no one. Therefore, Soujirou Nishimura woke up that day to fashion for himself the same red mask in his dreams (and then procure the rest of that costume he was certain only he could pull off, later in the afternoon.)

But by good fortune, a nice red mask already adorned with sparkling rhinestones literally fell right into his lap as he searched into his wardrobe. Words cannot express the happiness upon seeing that great treasure. And words all the more so could not express his feelings when he beheld that mask and felt the craziest jolt that shook even the deeper recesses into his mind… such as his memory.

* * *

…

_Touka. Ichigatsu. (January 10)_

"What do you mean exactly by this...Elis, Kenta-kun?" Kamui asked pensively, as he and Kenta walked down the sidewalk going towards the Diet Building.

"Elis is not a thing, Kamui-kun. Elis is a real person," Kenta answered calmly, rubbing his hands to keep warm as he walked. "I have seen him… or maybe he was the one seeing me. He was always looking at me as though-"

"-As though_?_" Kamui asked in suspense.

"As though he knew me," Kenta answered, shivering a little as if he felt some fear. "He was drawing some of my…powers from me… to take over this world."

"Powers?" Kamui laughed. "Then this is a crazy dream, Kenta-kun."

"That's what I thought at first," Kenta replied seriously. "But if it were just fantasy, then the others would not have concurred with it."

"Others?"

Kenta nodded. "It seems that Soujirou has been having these same dreams for the past few weeks but he has withheld it from us knowing that _some_ of us might laugh at him."

Kamui laughed. "Soujirou always has crazy dreams, but Sanjou-kun didn't-"

"-He didn't laugh."

"_Nani?_"

"Sanjou-kun didn't laugh when Soujirou had the courage to confess after I had spoken," Kenta told him. "As it turns out, the three of us have been having these same 'crazy dreams.' We just wanted to know if you also have...because if you did, then it means he is the common key to our accident."

Kamui walked in silence, quickly searching through his head the dreams he's had of lately. The last few ones were about Rei Hino walking gliding through the steps of a surreal crystal palace, walking beautifully towards him in a long, red sheath as though magically appearing in a vapor of fire. But this too just seemed more his own fantasy than this common vision from his friends.

"Kamui-kun?" Kenta interrupted Kamui's heavy thoughts.

Kamui shook his head. "No," he confessed. "I didn't have those dreams. But I wish that I did so that at least it would be...that key you are talking about."

Kenta sighed, his breath showing a heavy mist. "The three of us can't be making this up, Kamui," Kenta commented wisely. "I am sure that you will remember this soon. Soujirou even thinks that Elis had something to do with his chess idol, Ami Mizuno. At least his story his folding up. You may just be preoccupied with other thoughts."

Kamui nodded. "I hope I would remember soon because my father is asking me to announce my decision on marrying Suzaku-hime next month."

"That is soon. It might not give us enough time to remember given our progress," Kenta worriedly replied. "Can't you ask your father for an extension?"

Kamui shook his head. "It turns out that I have been holding a courtship with the Crown Princess for too long. It is already affecting the reputation of the Emperor and my father's standing as Prime Minister. I cannot risk another day or it will affect the honor of both our families."

Kenta nodded. "Then, you will have to trust what you know...or better...your heart."

"My heart? It's funny to hear you give that kind of sentimental comment, Kenta-kun!" Kamui chuckled. "Doing that will make me irrationally choose Rei Hino, the _miko_ who has sworn to help me retrieve my memories."

"Has she succeeded in doing that?"

Kamui shook his head, still chuckling at Kenta's wild and 'sentimental' thought, but the latter continued to remain serious.

"Then why does your heart tell you to marry her?"

"Because…" Kamui sighed. "She told me that there was something between us in the past. If you saw her yourself, I'm sure you will also like to believe it."

Kenta nodded and continued to rub his hands to warm them as he walked. "If she was that significant in your past, why is it hard to remember her?"

Kamui shrugged. "I don't know. What would you do in my place?"

Kenta shrugged as well. "I would follow my heart," Kenta smiled, tapping Kamui's shoulder as he spoke. "And ask my father for an extension."

They both laughed, and just in time for them to separate as they had walked in front of the Diet Building, where Kamui was set to work. Kamui's mood was chipper from that conversation with Kenta until he had opened the door to his office and heard his heart thump loudly when he saw the Crown Princess sitting alone on the chair.

"Suzaku-sama!" Kamui exclaimed in surprise, instantly bowing low at her presence.

"Kamui-san!" the Crown Princess exclaimed and laughed. "Why do you have to do that? It's not like I'm a stranger!"

Kamui shrugged. "I just was not expecting you to come, Suzaku-sama," he answered nervously. "I could've prepared my office to better receive you, Princess. Please forgive me for not doing so!"

"You're still so formal!" Suzaku-sama smiled. "I just went by for a little chat, since I just passed by Asano-dono's office."

"You have come to see my father?" Kamui asked, pretending to be calm.

The Crown Princess nodded. "We spoke a little about politics...you know, the Succession Bill which was regrettably not passed. He also told me that I shall know of your family's decision soon."

"_Hai…_ Suzaku-sama," Kamui answered, a little ashamed since he has not yet come up with a firm decision for her. "I think it would be in three weeks time."

"My father's terms may sound too harsh because it is too soon," Suzaku-sama said coyly. "Although I was hoping that I could learn of the answer straight from you instead of going through your father."

Kamui smiled and was still flustered so he chose not to say anything.

Suzaku sighed. "Kamui-san...I am well aware of your position… that you have not recovered much from the accident, but I was hoping that you…"

"That I would what, Suzaku-sama?"

Suzaku blushed. "...That you would follow your heart."

Kamui's breath seemed to stop at that moment because the Crown Princess echoed what he wanted to hear, but only if they would be in Kamui's own terms.

"In your heart, I know that you remember me and what we have shared together in the past," the Crown Princess said softly as she walked closer to Kamui. "We've shared some good conversation and there's just so much we have in common."

Kamui nodded, still blankly staring on his last thought.

"Kamui-san…" Suzaku-sama continued to speak softly as she now held Kamui's hand on both of her palms. "Before I met you, I really thought I was just doing this for my father's sake and be with you just because you are the son of Asano Junichiro-dono. But lately, I have realized that I do not wish to do it for myself or for my father. "

From breathless to stunned. This was Kamui's reaction to Suzaku-sama's latest confession.

"I wish to help the Asano in every way, Kamui-san," Suzaku-sama sincerely continued. " I only wish to do it for you."

"_Domo arigatou gozaimasu…_ Suzaku-sama," Kamui said, almost choking. He finally lacked the wit to say anything else except acknowledge her.

"_Hai…_" Suzaku-sama replied, sounding completely disappointed at his polite answer. "_Sou…_ I'll be sure to see you then in a few weeks?"

Kamui nodded, smiling politely at the Princess. He gently let go of both her hands and silently walked to the door to escort her out of his office. This was an overtly awkward gesture for both of them that they remained formal through the last few minutes. Both of them stayed silent and Her Highness's slow and regal steps to the door only increased the mutual discomfort, but she maintained her dignity and gave a short bow to Kamui before she opened the door. He reciprocated by bowing lower until Suzaku-sama had fully exited the room.

As soon as the door closed, it once again opened and was instantly closed with its lock shut. Kamui's back was turned away from the door as he rubbed the temples of his head with his fingers to relieve the headache he had instantly regained.

"You have heard everything again?" Kamui asked, instantly recognizing who had entered.

"_Hai…_" spoke a stern Nishida.

Kamui exhaled a huge sigh of relief, walked to his chair and dropped himself onto it. He then quickly opened his drawer until he could see the wood block with the word "_miko" _written on it. It lay safe inside his drawer and it worked like a charm in releasing some of the pain from his head.

"What do you think, Nishida?" Kamui asked as he placed the wood block on the front of his table for Nishida to see. "If I followed my heart?"

"Your… heart? I didn't know you had a heart."

"_Baka-"_

"-I was only kidding. I heard what the Crown Princess has said," Nishida chuckled. "But are you really certain that your heart says it's her?"

"What if it said it was Hino-san?" Kamui asked with a smirk.

Nishida choked in surprise. "Does this mean that you remember everything, Kamui?" he asked to make sure.

Kamui smiled and rubbed his temples with his fingers again. "Just those parts of my past that are crucial for me to give a decision to my father next month."

"_Aaa..._I thought for a while there, that the old Kamui is back." Nishida gave a heavy sigh of disappointment.

"What is really up with this old Kamui?" Kamui questioned in an irritant tone. "Have I really changed that much?"

Nishida nodded. "I am simply not used to all this 'sit back and wait' stance...this 'calculated risk.'"

Kamui leaned back on his chair and sighed. "_Sou ka na…_ Then let me back out of that theory and try another one," he said, looking listlessly on the ceiling. "What about the Law of Fourth Chances?"

"What is that?" A huge question mark hovered above Nishida. "I have only heard of _'Ichi go ichi e_,' which says we only get one chance at everything."

Kamui shook his head, still looking listlessly at the ceiling. "My father said we all get second chances...even up to the fourth chance. But the fourth is the last chance because four means death. If we have lost it after the fourth chance, the we have lost it all and it can never be remedied."

Nishida nodded enthusiastically. "It makes sense," he said. "Have you seen how this worked for yourself?"

Kamui shook his head, albeit reluctantly because a strong sense within him was sure that it happened to work for him before.

"Then why are you even suggesting it?" Nishida asked, confused.

"The Law of Fourth Chances is filled with my father's optimism and that optimism has brought him to the prime minister post," Kamui explained. "Therefore, I am going to try this out when I meet with Hino Ryoichi-dono next week to I present my father's proposal of appointing him as Chief Cabinet Secretary."

"How is Hino-dono related to the Law of Fourth Chances?"

Kamui stood up and walked in front of his desk. He took the wood block with the word '_miko'_ signed on it and with a smirk answered, "Because I want to know his opinion on having his daughter marry me."

"_Nani?_" Nishida gulped, feeling that his hair was raised on end with that huge of a surprise. "Kamui...have you thought this carefully? For some strange reason, your strangely optimistic father chose to give the second highest position in Japan to his rival! Now you will also ask Asano-dono's rival's permission to marry his daughter!"

Kamui nodded. "We shall then prove if my father is correct or he just invented this Law of Fourth Chances."

Nishida raised an eyebrow. "I guess you are still clever enough to remember how to inject this sensitive subject of marriage into politics?" Nishida scoffed.

"My marriage is political, Nishida," Kamui retorted. "You have heard the Crown Princess. Her father prefers me. If the Emperor himself sees some merit into this, I want to see if Hino-dono also does."

"I understand," Nishida said in a resigned tone. "You Asano are a very strange family, inventing all these rules. I assume that this is already the fourth and last chance for Hino Rei-san?"

Kamui paused to look at the wood block with the word '_miko_' written in his own handwriting, and smiled. "I think this is the third," he replied. "But who's counting?"

* * *

….

"Minako-chan…" Makoto skidded to a halt, almost dropping the sweet potato snack she was holding. (If not for Minako so eager to catch it.)

"Mako-chan!" Minako scolded, swiftly holding onto the sweet potato that she caught kneeling under Makoto. "How can you let go of this?"

Makoto gave no answer and instead continued to stare above her, looking very surprised. Minako took a moment to wonder at her friend's awed look and went on to curiously stare above her, towards the electronic billboards playing on the Shibuya crosswalk.

That was when Minako's disposition changed to that of Makoto that she dropped the sweet potato herself and did not feel that precious snack thud by her feet. The electronic lights of Shibuya just faded to show a huge image of an up and coming rock band whose frontman sporting the newest waved hairstyle stood behind the sign of his rock band aptly named 'Nephrite.'

"Sanjou...Masa?" Minako said after reeling in shock and turning to Makoto. "_Sugoi_...Mako-chan! It says his album is coming out in March! He's finally a rock star! Isn't that great?"

"Minako-chan…" Makoto repeated, still pointing to the same electronic billboard.

Minako couldn't understand the uninterrupted fascination but she looked just the same, only to realize that the billboard has now changed to reveal a new face behind the electronic lights. That face was a very large one of the handsomest man she had ever seen as Kenta Maeda was once again endorsing the same _Kin _beer.

"Kenta-chan…" sighed Minako, almost teary-eyed at the huge sight of him.

"_Warui, _Minako-chan…" Makoto said worriedly. "Now, it will be impossible for us to forget them!"

"Forget?" Minako asked in disbelief, turning to Makoto once again. "But why would we want to forget them?"

Makoto shrugged. "Aren't you tired of all this, Minako-chan? We _senshi_ seem to be in this up and down state-we love and our memories get erased. It was the same with Elis as it was in the Silver Millenium. I just don't want to go through with it again."

"Mako-chan…" Minako comforted. "How can you easily give up Sanjou-kun with all the things you have shared? You even had plans to move in together! I wish that I got close to Kenta-chan even jut a little."

Makoto shrugged again. "Which is why it is harder for me to have lost him this way… I have so much memories of him and now, he has none of me."

"But for some reason…" Minako smiled. "He remembers that he was Nephrite or that it's something related to him. That means there's still hope, Mako-chan!"

Makoto smiled and tightly held Minako's hand. "Thank you for your support, Minako-chan. We thought that going out shopping here in Shibuya would make me forget about him more rather than just staying home and getting reminded of him with his instruments all over my place. But it seems, that's not the case."

"They seem to follow us around, Mako-chan," Minako grinned. "Kenta-chan is following me. It's our destiny to be always intertwined together!"

"Minako-chan… destiny is not something that we simply accept just because it is given to us," Makoto reminded in a most motherly tone. "We have to go out there and make it our own. I think you should realize that by now."

Minako nodded. "Then I'll just take it as a hopeful reminder that Kenta-chan can still remember me," Minako answered, grinning. "I'll be going to Take-chan, our director, to bring Kenta-chan back to our play!"

Makoto smiled back. "_Gambatte_, Minako-chan!" she wished.

"I think you should also take your own advice, Mako-chan!" Minako winked. "You have to go out there and make it your own, and get SanjouMasa back!"

Makoto looked back up at the electronic lights that shone beautifully on Sanjounin's face. "For now, I choose to leave it in Sanjounin's hands," Makoto said listlessly. "If I am significant enough, then he will have to find me."

* * *

….

_Juhachinichi. Ichigatsu._ _(January 18)_

"_Mattaku..._I was forewarned by a good source that you are going to get yourself into an unwittingly strange position today. I just want to know if you're sure about this."

Kamui paused for a moment and looked behind him to raise an eyebrow up for his faithful guard, who was walking behind him, to see. Nishida saw that, of course, but feigned ignorance thanks to the shades that shielded the true expression in his eyes - same shades he wore everyday even inside the Diet building.

"Sanjou-kun, your 'good source' can't keep his mouth shut," Kamui spoke on his phone as he continued to walk down the corridors of the Diet.

"_Sou…_" Sanjounin gave a heavy sigh on the other line. "I thought that my plan in getting the girl of my dreams would be bolder than anybody else's. Not as crazy as Soujirou's but at least bolder than yours."

"How is my plan bolder?"

"Morie X is going to release the song I've written this coming Valentine's Day instead of this spring," Sanjounin explained as the sound of a single tune from a guitar strum was heard on Kamui's line. "The song was about her...this woman of my dreams. I hope that she responds to that song so that I will be able to find her."

"Sanjou-kun… you really think this woman of your dreams is real?" Kamui sounded completely doubtful.

"I don't know anything except what's in my heart. And for now, I'm ok with trusting that," Sanjounin answered. "All our dreams about this Elis are coinciding. Even Kenta is sure is that this is the key to getting back our memories. So it will just be a matter of time before they return and by that time, I would have confirmed that she's part of my past."

"I wish I had your faith, Sanjou-kun. But time is not on my side. The Emperor himself set this deadline and it will be dishonoring him if I ignore it. I don't think I can remember everything by that time."

" I do not remember the last few weeks but I don't remember that you have done something like this. You're asking your father's rival to serve under your father and you even have the guts to ask permission to marry his-"

"-My plan is bolder then, Sanjou-kun." Kamui interrupted and laughed.

"It is," Sanjounin immediately answered. "Are you sure about this, Kamui?"

Kamui has stopped walking because he has already reached his destination - the office of Ryoichi Hino. "No," Kamui confessed, after giving a huge sigh.

"Then I'm here to assure you that it's not stupid to trust your heart," Sanjounin told him.

Nishida then went in front of Kamui and opened his hand in front of him, as a gesture to receive Kamui's phone. "If anything goes wrong, like if Hino-dono himself does not give his permission," Nishida said as he took Kamui's phone and put it in his pocket. "Just remember that this is just the third chance."

Kamui nodded to acknowledge and took a deep breath as Nishida opened the door for him to enter Ryoichi Hino's office. Just two steps in, he could feel his heart pounding strong inside of him louder than the drums of the Tomesatsu shrine. Ryoichi Hino stood just a few steps away from his desk with his secretary, Ono-san standing on his left behind him. But what it even worse was the sight of Kaidou-san who stood on Ryoichi Hino's right just a little behind him as well.

There were no words that were needed to describe the tension. All the memories of Kaidou-san about Kamui Asano were not pleasant, especially since he had already nursed a shiner on his eye from being punched by him. Kamui, on the other hand, only had one memory present about Kaidou-san and that was enough, so it was very hard for him to keep a strong, political 'poker face' about it as he was the one to bow first before Hino-dono.

"_Konnichiwa_, Hino-dono," Kamui greeted formally.

"_Konnichiwa_, Asano-san," Ryoichi Hino said as he acknowledged Kamui's bow by bowing himself, with Kaidou-san and Ono-san doing it unison with him. "I am very honored to receive your presence today."

"The honor is mine, Hino-dono," Kamui told him. "I am truly sorry that my father is engaged in another meeting but he truly wanted to present this proposal to you himself. He has sent me instead and I am very pleased to finally meet with you after all these years."

"I am just honored to have this meeting with the new prime minister," Ryoichi Hino said. "Especially with his son representing him."

"But really, I have been wanting to meet with you myself, Hino-dono," Kamui enthusiastically asserted. "I have advocated of the reforms you have passed, especially those for welfare and education. I have always used that as a benchmark for all the papers I did in Waseda."

Ryoichi Hino laughed. "I don't know if I deserve this much admiration because it is just part of my work but... _Domo arigatou gozaimasu_, Asano-san," he bowed low towards Kamui again and then stood up to gesture to his seat. "Kindly have a seat."

"Ono-san, you may leave us now," Ryoichi Hino politely told his secretary before going behind his desk. Ono-san could not mask her surprise and disappointment at the order but did as she was told, looking back jealously at Kaidou-san who remained standing beside Ryoichi Hino.

Kamui too was a little bit miffed that it was not Kaidou who got dismissed from this meeting, but he did remember the man's loyalty to Hino-dono. Kaidou-san stood there in the same way Kamui stood close by for his father, so Kamui had no choice but to endure the former's presence.

"I have come on Asano-Junichiro's behalf," Kamui explained, standing in front of Ryoichi Hino's desk where the former remained seated, seeing that Kaidou-san was still standing. (Doing this is just a matter of etiquette. He also mentions his father's complete name to make it more official.)

"He would like to present this proposal to you." Kamui handed a special folder to Hino-san which was encased in leather and had the seal of the prime minister. He remained standing and waited for Ryoichi Hino to open it and read its contents, starting with a personal letter from Kamui's father, Junichiro Asano, and the rest of the documents. (The personal letter is unofficial but Junichiro Asano liked to put a personal touch in his documents just as he learned this from American diplomats.)

Ryoichi Hino took only a short time to read the rest of the documents after reading Junichiro Asano's letter. He then gave the rest of the documents to Kaidou-san beside him so that Kaidou could read them himself.

"Asano Junichiro-san thinks that your intelligent reforms have helped the Japanese people," Kamui continued as he looked to see Kaidou-san still reading the documents. "Your service in Parliament is impeccable and the number of bills you have authored just means that you are most senior MP. This is why he would like to humbly ask if you can be his-"

"-Chief Cabinet Secretary," Ryoichi Hino continued Kamui's sentence with a surprisingly forlorn expression.

"_Hai_!" Kamui answered.

"You have not said anything about my record in jumping parties. Just last year, I led the Komeito Coalition which became the largest minority bloc in Parliament next to the DLP."

"Asano Junichiro-san knows about all that but he thinks your service is more valuable than that part of your history," Kamui replied.

Ryoichi Hino nodded. "I just thought that my forming the Komeito Coalition and my return to the DLP where my old faction was restored would still be considered," Ryoichi Hino added. "Do you mean that Asano-dono dismissed all this and would just allow his former contender to take the highest post in his cabinet?"

Kaidou has just finished reading Junichiro Asano's proposal, but he remained silent at his boss's last remark and waited for Kamui's answer instead. It still took a few more moments for Kamui to compose a good reply to his favorite MP because his father did not exactly give him any reason for wanting Ryoichi Hino to get the top cabinet post. Junichiro Asano told Kamui that he had told no one else but his son about his choice in appointing Ryoichi Hino since this controversial choice will cause quite a stir in his own faction in case Hino-dono refuses. Therefore, no one else but Kamui must deliver the proposal to Hino-dono at this time.

"Hino-dono, if I know my father and him choosing you, his closest contender, just means that he thinks there is no one else that can equal his passion and commitment to his service other than yourself," Kamui stated honestly. "Which is why I think that he has complete confidence in his decision."

Ryoichi Hino did not answer for a long time. His long pause was due to him consuming Kamui's eloquent words carefully and only after doing that did a faint smile form from his lips. "You are indeed Asano-dono's son. You have stated your case very well," Ryoichi Hino told him. "I am very grateful and honored that Asano-dono has considered me for such an important position."

Ryoichi Hino then gestured for Kaidou, who then handed to Hino-dono the leather cased proposal. "But as what seems to be the usual case with Asano-dono, I just cannot agree with him," Ryoichi Hino answered, handing Kamui the leather cased proposal with both hands. "I understand that my recent moves from the DLP and my sudden return is still an issue with the other MPs. I have to use this time to once again prove my loyalty to the party by serving as a regular MP in the meantime. Kindly send Asano-dono my sincerest and utmost regrets."

Kamui was inclined to sigh of disappointment but didn't. He maintained his warrior stance and gently took the leather case proposal from Ryoichi Hino's hands and bowed low before him, to which Ryoichi Hino and Kaidou acknowledged.

Kamui somehow predicted that this would be the outcome of his proposal because he just observed that Ryoichi Hino's latest campaign against his father cost Hino-dono too much. He surmised that even though Ryoichi Hino wants to, he would decline serving the second top post in the country just because it seemed more of a consolation. Kamui knew then that asking for his second request would produce a bleaker outcome. If Hino-dono is still in his pride, he is more likely to turn down a marriage proposal from the family of his rival as easily as he turned down the top cabinet post easily offered on a silver platter to him.

But Kamui's heart raced for him to overcome his own pride. He was still more determined than ever to ask Ryoichi Hino his second request if the prize meant Rei Hino herself.

"Hino-dono, it would be a disappointment to give Asano-Junichiro-san your regrets and we hope that you reconsider your decision," Kamui's preamble began and he once again handed the leather cased proposal to Ryoichi Hino with both of his hands. "It is truly an honor to meet with you on my father's behalf-"

"-It is more of an honor for me to meet with you, the son of Asano Junichiro-san!" Ryoichi Hino interjected, smiling. "I have seen that you are a fine young man and would make a good career in Parliament as well…and clearly deserving to marry our Crown Princess!"

Kamui nodded uneasily, impatiently waiting for his own time to interject. With just a few words, he has managed to get Hino-dono's favor but not for the right objective.

"If my Succession Bill had progressed, you would've made a very good Crown Prince," Ryoichi Hino continued, chuckling at his own anecdote. "But for your sake, I will look at these documents again. I wish you the very best, Asano-san. And congratulations on your engagement!"

Ryoichi Hino then gestured for Kaidou-san to get the documents from Kamui, to which he calmly walked towards Hino-dono's desk for that purpose.

"The next generation of our Parliament is going towards the next step. Even Kaidou-san here is planning to get married next to you," Ryoichi Hino continued. "He too has asked for my permission requesting that he marry my daughter."

Ryoichi Hino's words sent a huge jolt down Kamui, especially now that it was just in time that Kaidou-san himself was holding the leather cased proposal on the other end where Kamui was holding to in order to retrieve it. Kamui's eyes met Kaidou-san's in a silent rage, which stunned Kaidou-san for a moment even if he knew that this would be Kamui's reaction upon hearing that.

"Hino-dono…" Kaidou-san called out softly as soon as the leather cased proposal was in his hands.

But Ryoichi Hino did not hear Kaidou-san speak to begin an explanation regarding his recent decision regarding that marriage proposal. After all, it was a personal thing for Kaidou to first focus on strengthening the relationship with his own daughter before pursuing any marriage proposal. But who was he to interrupt Hino-dono's own declaration?

Hino-dono bowed low towards Kamui, prompting Kaidou-san to instantly bow low as well instead of clarifying to his boss regarding Hino-dono's latest declaration.

"_Domo arigatou gozaimasu_, Asano-san!" Ryoichi Hino enthusiastically greeted as he bowed.

Kamui bowed lower than his host and took that brief moment to express his anger while his face could not be seen, so that he rose up, still looking calm and business-like especially towards his _own_ rival.

"_Domo arigatou gozaimasu_… Hino-dono," Kamui politely greeted. The pleasantries that he wished to say to Hino-dono were gone. His thoughts were void save for the resentment welling in it.

_Why didn't I know this? _ Kamui thought, as he walked towards the door of Ryoichi Hino's office. This was why he received that crucial memory of Kaidou-san and Rei Hino sharing a kiss. There would be no other perfect match for Rei Hino other than Kaidou, and Hino-dono would only be happier to give his permission for his most faithful MP to marry his daughter.

Instead of to his rival.

In all scenarios, Kamui thought that he did not stand a chance from the start. It was fruitless to pursue such an illogical venture. Why would he really give up a good marriage to the Crown Princess when the Emperor himself has given Kamui his approval?

Outside the corridor, Nishida was waiting and he called out to his young master who absent-mindedly closed the door of Ryoichi Hino's office without saying a word to him.

Kamui finally heard the voice of Nishida when his name was called for the third time. He reached into his pocket and felt the rough edges of the wood block of his wish.

"Kamui, what happened?" Nishida asked when he finally was able to reach Kamui.

"Hino-dono sent his regrets. He thinks that it is not yet his time to serve in the cabinet."

"No! What did Hino-dono say about your request to marry his daughter?" Nishida asked impatiently.

Kamui shook his head and continued to walk. "Any alliance with the Asano and the Hino are just not meant to be. I will call Suzaku-sama to tell her that we must prepare for our joint announcement."

"_Masaka_, Kamui… You mean-"

"-_Mochiron_. Of our engagement," Kamui replied sullenly.

"_Baka_ Kamui… what about this stupid Law of Fourth Chances? What is this about following your heart?"

Kamui halted in his step and stared angrily at Nishida. "Screw that then...I cannot follow something that is broken."

* * *

….

"What is wrong, Mamo-chan?" Usagi asked, wondering at the instant stop that her fiance made in the middle of the Shibuya crosswalk.

Mamoru was engrossedly staring at someone in front of him and Usagi can't understand who among the multitude that would spark Mamoru's interest, until a familiar face passed by going towards the street opposite their destination. In fact, they were not the only people who thought he was a familiar face because he seemed to part the people in front of him as he walked on that crosswalk, ogling and gushing at his handsome looks and vogue clothing.

A lot remained enchanted on that crosswalk until traffic sounded to honk their horns to remind them to cross. That was when Usagi had to drag Mamoru towards the opposite sidewalk even while he was still a bit absent himself trying to look back at the famous pedestrian.

"He is quite popular, isn't he?" Usagi said cheerfully.

Mamoru nodded. "Very popular," he said, pointing to the electronic billboard atop the building in Shibuya showing another application of Kenta Maeda's endorsement of Kin beer.

"_Sugoiiiii…." _Usagi gushed, staring in complete awe at the billboard. "_Kakkoiii_… Kenta-kun!"

"Ha? _Mada…_" Mamoru retorted in surprise as the billboard changed to show the teaser ad of another of his own-that of Sanjounin Masato and his band 'Nephrite.'

"_Sugoiii!_" Usagi gushed loudly in response. "They are all famous! Except Zoicite… I mean Soujirou-kun. Do you think you will be next, Mamo-chan?"

Mamoru smiled at Usagi. "I'm ok with this, Usa-ko," he said, looking quite amused at his fiancee. "I guess I'm not like them. We're not the same as your _senshi_. We have not been that much connected after we were reborn in this time. It even took Elis to reunite us."

"It's sad that after that, they have lost their memories of us too," Usagi lamented. "Now I am even sadder for Minako-chan, Rei-chan, Ami-chan and Mako-chan!"

"I am, too," Mamoru sighed, putting his arm around Usagi. "If they have remembered them, they will remember me. But it seems that even Kunzite has walked past and didn't recognize us."

"Maybe you can do something, Mamo-chan? You can go to each of them and tell them who you are."

Mamoru laughed. "I don't think they will believe that I am their prince, Usa-ko. Everyone in Japan even thinks that Kamui-kun could might as well be the prince of Japan!"

"You still have the _Hi _stones, don't you? They could help."

"We do not know. I also don't like to take the risk again because it endangered their lives before. And even if the _Hi_ stones can help remember their past lives, they need to remember the present."

"I need to think of something else I can do," Usagi said tearfully. "I can't bear the suffering of Minako-chan and the others knowing that they can't be with the one they love."

Mamoru drew Usagi closer and with his other free hand, tightly embraced her in the middle of the sidewalk. "I understand, Usa-ko…" he told her. "But for now, we have to have faith that they will remember."

Usagi smiled weakly at Mamoru and then he planted a long kiss on her forehead. The public display of affection had already engrossed the two that they did not see the man they only recognize as 'Kunzite' slowly emerge from the corner of the building across their crosswalk.

Kenta knew that there's a sudden impetus of energy watching him from behind but he cannot explain why he knows that it was from those two. Or at least one of them. From where he is, Kenta can't clearly see the details of their faces, although he surmised that the Elis in his dream was looking for a prince.

But Kenta could not look on and spend more time to observe anymore. People passing by were looking at him, with most of the women blushing as they saw him. With the _Kin_ billboard flashing right above him, the recognition of him as its model would bring more unwanted attention. He needed to go with his appointment and meet the _omi-ai_ anyway, but his phone rang.

"_Moshi-moshi…_ Soujirou," Kenta greeted impatiently as soon as he saw the name on the caller ID.

"Kenta-kun, I need to talk to you right away! It is important!"

"_Mattaku_, Soujirou. Whatever it is you can handle it. I have a very important meeting."

"Important? Where to?"

"_Ja_, Soujirou-"

"-_Matte!_ It is important! A lot of it is still quite hazy but I can put the pieces together. I can now tell you why we have a common dream."

Kenta froze in his tracks with his heart crazily beating. "_Nande_, Soujirou? Do you mean that you remember?"

"_Hai! _Kenta-kun!" Soujirou squealed on the other line. "My memories have returned!"

- tsuzuku -

* * *

**chiisai noto:**

Remember, Kamui = Jadeite. Kenta = Kunzite. Soujirou = Zoicite. Sanjounin = Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) It is true that there are a few more chapters to be going but I already have the ending in mind ever since. I just hope I don't get hit with a sad case of writer's block. This is one sad chapter to write. But it continues. I'm writing it all now.


	29. 27: Memento

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 27 - MEMENTO**

**Jisho/Dictionary:  
ANOOO**… Well… Umm…**  
ARIGATOU /DOMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASHITA**… Thank you**  
BAKA / BAKERO**… Fool / Stupid**  
BISHOUNEN**… Pretty boy**  
DAIJOUBU**… It is ok**  
GOMENE / GOMEN NASAI**… I'm sorry**  
HAI**… Yes**  
HONTOU**… Really**  
IMA-YO**… Now**  
ITTE**… Ouch**  
IYA**… No**  
KUSO**… A curse word**  
MADA**… Still**  
MASAKA**… No way/But…**  
MATTE**… Wait**  
MIKO**… Shrine attendant**  
NABE** … One-pot stew**  
NANI** … What?**  
OJII-SAN** … Grandfather**  
OMI-AI** … Love matchmaker**  
OTOO-SAN/OTOO-SAMA** … Father**  
SENSHI** … Soldier (in this case, referring to the sailor _senshi_)**  
SHINOBI**… Ninja**  
SOU KA / SOU DESU KA…** Oh… Is that so**  
SUGOI**… Great**  
TAIGA**… Japanese period soap operas (i.e. about samurai)**  
TORII**… Arches in the Shinto temple entrance**  
URUSAI** …Shut up!**  
WAKATTA**… Understood/Ok**  
YOSHI**… Ok/Good

**In the Previous Chapter:**

The New Year came and as Ami was about to battle to win as the Iron Grandmaster, she instead used the opportunity to announce a search for the true Iron Grandmaster, hoping that Soujirou Nishimura would listen.

While Minako shared Ami's determination in winning back their _shittenou, _Makoto has given up, even as she and Minako saw the huge billboards of Sanjounin and Kenta in Shibuya, adding pain to their longing.

Kenta had announced that he, Soujirou and even Sanjounin had shared a dream about Elis, which he thinks would be the key to finding the reason for their accident and their lost memories. Kamui has no such dream except for Rei Hino as a princess in a fantastical land. Despite Suzaku-sama's pleading, Kamui instead chose to follow his heart and use the "Law of Fourth Chances" to determine his fate instead of his inability to make firm decisions like the 'old Kamui.'

Kamui decided to use this law to ask Ryoichi Hino for permission to marry Rei Hino during his meeting to persuade Hino-dono in becoming Chief Cabinet Officer in his father's behalf. While Hino-dono was impressed with Kamui, he denied the position and happily blurted out that he had given his approval for Kaidou-san to marry his daughter. This led to Kamui's resignation to follow his heart and dismiss marrying Rei Hino as illogical.

Usagi and Mamoru in the meantime have seen the huge billboards of Sanjounin and Kenta and prayed that the _shittenou_ would regain their memories for the sake of Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako. Just then, Kenta, after sensing that he had seen his 'prince,' received a call from Soujirou saying that he has regained his memories.

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

* * *

…

_Junihachinichi. Ichigatsu._ _January 28._

"Is that your choice, Kamui? I didn't expect you to decide very early especially since your mother stressed that you need more time to recover from your accident."

"It is, _otoo-san_," Kamui humbly answered, bowing low to his father.

"Very well. I shall be speaking to the Emperor in the middle of next month and tell him your decision," Junichiro Asano answered without any expression of elation, much to Kamui's surprise. "What did Hino-dono say about joining my cabinet?"

"He is sending his regrets, _otoo-san_, but I urged him to keep the proposal for him to reconsider."

Junichiro Asano crinkled his forehead and rose from his chair to stand in front of his table right in front of where his son stood. "Hino-dono declined being _my_ Chief Cabinet Secretary?" he rephrased, sounding surprised that his generous proposal was rejected.

"_Hai_," Kamui replied. "He said that his constant changing of parties within Parliament will be an issue with some of the MPs in the DLP and he wishes to first prove his loyalty as a regular DLP member."

"_Sou ka na…_" Junichiro Asano continued to sound doubtful. "But with his latest performances...him stirring a coalition and forming his old faction in the DLP against me is contradictory to that."

Kamui nodded. "He still has his pride."

Junichiro Asano shrugged. "I just thought that with his return to the DLP and my election as prime minister, he would forget all the party lines."

"I am sure that he is still willing to serve, _otoo-san_… He is still the most qualified for this post. We can still get him to reconsider."

"I know that you have been one of his fans, my son!" Junichiro Asano laughed, patting Kamui on the shoulder. "I am just saying that even great men such Hino-dono and I have to deal with a little weakness called pride. Even then, you and I know that Hino-dono does not like to be just a regular MP."

"But I have already decided on him!" Junichiro Asano grinned. "His participation in my cabinet will forge a stronger DLP by finally uniting our two biggest factions. Unity is better, isn't it? Now tell me how your meeting ended, Kamui."

Kamui coughed. "_Anoo..._Hino-dono...uhh… congratulated me regarding Suzaku-sama," he answered reluctantly.

"Very good," Junichiro Asano said with his signature Asano smirk. "Hino-dono never comments about non-political topics to people he doesn't like. This means you must've said something to earn his favor!"

Kamui's eyes widened in disbelief. He has earned Hino-dono's favor? "How do you know this, _otoo-san_?"

"'Know thy enemy as thy knows thyself' speaks Sun Tzu," Junichiro Asano explained mimicking an old samurai teacher in one of his favorite _taiga_ dramas. "I am also a good judge of character. I am right to trust you in giving this proposal to Hino-dono. I am sending you again to ask him to reconsider."

Kamui gave a short bow to his father. "I will do my best, _otoo-san_," he said despite the heavy resistance within him.

Junichiro Asano nodded cheerfully and leaned on his desk. "You don't have to worry about anything, Kamui. I am sure the Law of Fourth Chances is on your side. It has always been on mine!"

Junichiro Asano gave a strong pat on the shoulder on his son to show his appreciation and confidence, but that parting gesture didn't improve Kamui's mood. Nishida noticed this immediately as soon as he saw Kamui walk out of his father's office.

"Is there any place you would like to go to, Kamui?" Nishida asked, walking briskly by Kamui's side as the latter seemed almost like he was running to his office.

Kamui shook his head. "I just need to send a message to Ono-san to arrange another meeting with Hino-dono and then there's just one other thing that I need to do."

Nishida nodded. "It's nearly the end of the month. I thought that you would prepare for your engagement announcement?"

"My father will talk to the Emperor himself and then we will prepare shortly after that. He sounds more enthusiastic about Hino-dono's decision than meeting with the Emperor regarding my decision."

"_Sou desu ka?_" Nishida raised an eyebrow. "That's quite strange, don't you think, Kamui?"

"My father is a very strange man." Kamui shrugged.

Nishida drew a heavy sigh that led him to give a short whistle. "_Anoo…_ don't you think it's better to talk to _her_ instead?" Nishida sounded very cautious in referring to Hino-dono's daughter.

"I am doing a courtesy call to Suzaku-sama next week," Kamui gave a gruff answer.

Nishida scratched his head and uneasily fidgeted in selecting his words well until he blurted, "_Anoo_-"

"-_Nani-yo, _Nishida?" Kamui asked coldly with the sharpest look on his face.

Nishida bowed his head low in shame after realizing that he was being chastised for making an effort to correct his young master. "_Gomen_…_" _he quickly apologized, giving a heavy and loud sigh once again for not having the opportunity to convince Kamui.

"Nishida," Kamui called out, still unfazed at Nishida's apology.

"_Hai_?"

"Isn't this what everyone wants of me? To be decisive and honorable just like the old Kamui?"

Nishida wanted to disagree but immediately decided that it was more tactful to stay silent. The old Kamui was decisive because the old Kamui was always sure whenever he made a decision. Nishida was certain that the Kamui before him was not sure when he made this decision.

"Old Kamui… New Kamui…. it doesn't matter…." Kamui muttered irritably after Nishida's long silence. "I'm starting off fresh, Nishida."

Kamui then shoved a heavy black object on Nishida's chest, who the latter immediately realized as what he recalls as one of 'the old' Kamui's most treasured possessions - the old phone that fell in the Sumida. It seemed as though it was only a moment ago when his young master entrusted that phone to Nishida to use as a tool for Kamui to regain his memories, and now, it was being given to him with resentment.

Kamui gave that phone to Nishida because it was being given up. His young master had given up a prized possession for what it ultimately stood for.

"_Sou ka…_" Nishida murmured with a heavy heart, still glancing at the broken down phone. "This is the one thing you need to do?"

But Kamui shook his head.

* * *

…

_Tsuitachi. Nigatsu. (February 1)_

"My love… it is…."

"It is?"

Minako's eyes had a glassy look when she listlessly looked at him. This was indeed the perfect moment when she would fall into his strong arms and he would catch her fall gently like repeated frames in slow motion. He then slowly moved closer and closer to her that she happily fell into a swoon.

On the hardest wooden floor right in front of him with the brightest spotlight glaring at her.

"_Itte…_" Minako murmured softly, rising weakly in pain from her fall.

"CUT!" The voice of the great Takei roared across the set so loud that the one who held the spotlight shook in fright.

"Takei-sensei… _gomen!_" the actor in front of Minako hastily apologized as he walked over her with his hands clasped. "I think she did not rehearse this scene so well."

"She?" Minako rose defensively. "Why 'she?' It is always 'she' did not memorize the lines! 'She' did not understand the blocking!"

"Aino-san, _daijoubu…_ all you have to do is apologize to Takei-sensei," he told her, raising Minako's rage to a boiling point and turning her face red from bottling it in trying to think of a more 'civil' reply.

"_Urusai_, Yoshida!" yelled the great Takei once again to the actor in front of Minako. "You are fired!"

"Fired? But why, Takei-sensei? Why? She was the one-"

"It is not 'she,' _baka! _It is you! You failed to catch her! You are fired!" Takei-sensei yelled once again with great conviction that easily appeased Minako.

It was Yoshida's turn to have his face filled red with rage. "It is her fault and you fire me!"

"_Mada-_" Minako began to protest.

"-But this will be a loss for you! You have fired me, Kuwata Yoshida, your great star!"

And then the great Takei took a moment of silence before finally yelling, "Get out!" shaking the wits out of everyone there including the great Kuwata Yoshida who exited shaking profusely as he walked out. The entire crew was new and only five actors, including Minako, stayed long enough for this long delayed play to be used to the great director's yelling.

Besides, all she could hear was the yelling anyway. The spotlight was too intense for her to see anyone below the stage, which is probably why Takei-san was convinced enough to scream all the instructions in the scariest tone.

"My great play, my masterpiece has long been delayed," she could hear the great Takei loudly lament. "I was stuck with the worst actors in history… I might as well die!"

"_Anoo.._Takei-sensei… _gomen nasai_…." Minako apologized to the glaring light in front of her, not knowing where Takei actually was.

"No! I do not need any apologies!" Takei yelled out once again surprising Minako so suddenly that she almost fell back. "I need real talent. I need a veteran. I need an experienced actor who knows all this at the back of his head! I need a real star!"

"_Mou…_ Takei-sensei, that is too much compliment…."

Minako was taken aback at the voice that she just heard. It was eerily familiar that her heart jumped to ten beats at the sound of that voice. _But it can't be…_ It can't be him. _He does not remember…._

"It is not too much!" Takei yelled his protest. "This is just what I need. I don't care if we have to start all over again just so that we can get it right!"

"We do not have to start all over again," the voice gently explained. "We just have to get the crucial scenes right and rehearse the rest to make it in time."

"There are about eight crucial scenes. How confident are you that you can-"

"-Very confident, _sensei…_ because _**you**_ are the director."

_Sugoi… _He has spoken with the greatest tact. What a relief. Minako was sure that it was the most tactful thing said to Takei since this morning. The silence just now just means that Takei is not only relieved that his play can be shown in time but that he was also given a very 'truthful' compliment.

"Very well," the great Takei loudly greeted. "I think you will be assured of a good cast since we have worked on the same thing for a long time. Aino-san! You will now have to work making sure that the new lead will fit right in with your part!"

Minako gave a low bow. "Yes, I will, Takei-sensei!" she announced enthusiastically.

"Who are you talking to, Aino-san? We are right here!"

"_Sensei_?" Minako tried to look through the glare. "But I can't see you in this light."

"_Baka na…._ I said, CUT! Didn't I?"

The light instantly went out after Takei's booming command and he continued to scold the crew as Minako closed her eyes to clear her eyes of the after images still present in the dark. One of those images was Kenta Maeda, smiling pleasantly at her just right in his latest _Kin_ billboard. This was the only after image that Minako treated with glee.

"Aino-san! What are you still looking at over there? Go on and walk right here!"

Minako nodded and opened her eyes, still recovering from some huge specks from the glare. She was able to follow Takei's loud voice and was now able to make that familiar shape of him. She could also see someone standing beside Takei-_sensei_ that resembled that handsome after image she just saw. _But of course, it couldn't be._ Minako was breathing fast in excitement but it was better to just fix her vision so she could get rid of all this wishful thinking.

"Go up the stage and meet your co-stars!" Takei-sensei instructed. "We shall start work right away!"

Minako closed both her eyes and rubbed them with her fingers until she was sure that there were very little specks of the glare left in them. Takei-sensei's protege wasn't in any haste and she could hear him climb the stairs to the stage before she could open her eyes.

And the slow motion frames that Minako was aiming for came in the same rhythm as his step and the opening of her eyes like the perfect scene. Because in Minako's clear vision, this was indeed Kenta Maeda in his full glory. (Whatever Kenta wore, that was to Minako, him in his full glory.)

"You were perfect in your scene, Aino-san, except for that last part," spoke Kenta Maeda just at the most fortunate moment. "But do not worry. I am here now to play the part who will catch you."

The most satisfying words. It's just too good to be true. Of course, Minako's swoon by this time was by no means deliberate.

* * *

…

_Mikka. Nigatsu. (February 3)_

"I guess everyone is here, including our Prince Kamui," Sanjounin grinned as the four of them were all gathered in his apartment.

"_Hai…_ although I don't understand why we have to meet here," Kamui winced, scratching his shoulder. He remained standing as he did not find a suitable place to sit. "It's like no one has lived here for years."

"_Sou…_ Why did we choose this place?" Soujirou grimaced himself as he sat on a pile of clothes on the sofa.

"Because I will cook a decent _nabe_ for all of us!" Sanjounin proudly grinned. "I discovered that I can cook! And cook well!"

"We are friends, Sanjou-kun… but this is not good way to entrap us to that," Kamui threatened seriously, almost tripping on some piece of...whatever it is lying on the floor. "Stop kidding around."

"I am _not_ kidding," Sanjounin scowled. "My cooking skills have mysteriously returned."

"_Wakatta, _Sanjou-kun. We shall settle that later," Kenta called out. "Let's move to our purpose of being here. Soujirou has remembered the details of our accident."

"_Sou desu ka_, Soujirou? You remember?" Sanjounin gasped.

Soujirou gave an uneasy scowl. "Most of it, but not all of it, apparently. I still have some gaps."

"Then can you tell us who Elis is?" Sanjounin inquired, surprising Kamui even that he knew Kenta told him. It was still a surprise to hear from Sanjou-kun's own mouth that they all share a fantastical dream.

Soujirou nodded. "Endymion's heir. Endymion is our prince!" he announced happily. "Elis has come here to steal the kingdom that he thought was his inheritance and used us to take over the world!"

A big silence. Mouths have dropped.

"Your humor has mysteriously returned with Sanjou-kun's non-existent cooking skills," Kamui replied, stressing his words to its full extent of sarcasm.

"You don't believe me? I am not making this up! Isn't this our dream?" Soujirou insisted.

"I must admit that it sounds too strange even if we all shared that dream," Kenta commented. "In my dream, I know that I am searching for a prince. But we have no prince now except for Suzaku-sama, who is a crown princess."

"Except for Prince Kamui," Sanjounin joked, obviously irritating Kamui. "If everything works."

"What else do you remember, Soujirou?" Kamui asked instead, changing the subject.

"I don't know anything else regarding that. I just know that Elis has used us to destroy this world and our prince. He was the one responsible for this accident. If we find our prince, then we can know how Elis caused our accident!"

"Find our prince…." Kenta repeated and paused to think (with everybody waiting for his answer.) "That is what we shall do."

"Kenta! Are you serious?" Sanjounin protested. "You just said there is no prince in Japan! How can we find him?"

"I don't know," Kenta softly replied. "I just know that he exists."

"And if we do not find him?" Kamui asked, feeling greatly pessimistic.

"Then we'll just have to rely on our own thing, Kamui!" Sanjounin shrugged, smirking. "Just like Soujirou here! If he was lucky enough, I'm sure we'll get our missing memories back ourselves!"

"_Baka!_ You make me sound like I'm the shallow one when I'm the genius of Tokyo Tech!" Soujirou proudly complained.

"Did you call me …_ baka?_" Sanjounin teased, trying to act seriously threatening.

Soujirou gulped. "I just mean that I know the science of I have easily regained mine! There are studies to show that there are special things that will help trigger these memories. It could be something as trivial as a souvenir or memento. Or some event that would remind us of things that happen. Our brains will return to that part of our memories that easily recognizes it!"

It was Kamui's turn to gulp at that. There were mementos that failed and only one more that he hasn't gotten rid of.

"_Hontou_? Then what was that thing that triggered your memory?" Sanjounin challenged.

"The mask adorned with little jewels that I found mysteriously," Soujirou answered. "I have missed the episode but the advertisements showed Mizuno-san on television calling for the true V-Knight until its last episode on February 15."

"That call for the real Iron Grandmaster? Do you think-"

"-I am V-Knight! Who else? I have defeated every whiz at Tokyo Tech except one," Soujirou sadly explained. "I haven't had the opportunity to battle her. I guess I have chased her all my life except for that one moment where she might think that I might be her nemesis and not think of me as someone deeper than that."

"_Masaka.._ Soujirou, you mean that hot chess girl is your-"

"-My true destiny," Soujirou amorously declared with hearts in his eyes.

"This is more fantastical than this Elis," Kamui chided once again. "I'll take my chances with Sanjou-kun's _nabe._"

"Hold on, Kamui… Soujirou may be for once, seriously right about something," Sanjounin's tone was serious, surprising Kamui yet again. "If you remember this hot chess girl more vividly than our accident, it must be serious. He's never been chased by a girl before."

Soujirou fatefully and tearfully nodded. "Despite my intellect and charm...it is just this once!" he sobbed.

"Then can you tell me about my own dream girl?" Sanjounin was smiling ear to ear when he asked. "Does she have anything to do with my great cooking skills?"

"I do not know, Sanjou-kun," Soujirou sniffed. "I remember that you have a girlfriend but who she really was is vague. I can't remember her face."

"Sanjou-kun always has a girlfriend." Surprisingly, it was Kenta not Kamui who commented.

"But this girl must be special that she made me improve on things I'm not normally fond of," Sanjounin sighed. "Guess I will just have to wait until Valentine's Day when my song is released… then she will find me."

"Then we both don't have much time… Mizuno-san is waiting for me to appear on television to beat her," Soujirou worriedly said.

Sanjounin nodded. He then leapt to his feet, surprising everybody else. "I just wondered...if Soujirou's theory is correct and the memento that led him to remember was the mask of V-Knight…then there must be something in here that could also help me remember once I find it."

The three others slowly panned their gazes around the small apartment with clothes all over the sofa, dirty pots in the sink, and various other messes piled on top of slightly recognizable instruments.

Sanjounin preceded everyone after giving a heavy sigh. "I suppose it will take a while to get through all this carnage," he murmured.

"_Yoshi!_ Then I guess you better get started now!" Kamui told him, nodding to Sanjounin before heading out his door.

"_Matte! _I am still cooking _nabe!_" Sanjounin protested trying to make his way among all the mess and piles to stop Kamui at the door.

"Next time, Sanjou-kun!" Kamui said with a smirk, before finally heading out the door.

"Next time, Sanjou-kun!" Soujirou happily greeted as he wheezed his way quickly out the door himself.

Sanjounin was shocked to see the skill Soujirou had in escaping the piles from his own apartment, as though he had this magical gift of appearing and disappearing. He was even more surprised to see Kenta still sitting on his chair, although Kenta seemed to be thinking about something else other than Sanjounin's cooking.

"So, Kenta-kun… do you have any memento that you need to find?" Sanjounin asked, knowing he had guessed correctly.

Kenta shook his head. "We just need to search for our prince," he answered with finality.

Outside, Soujirou was trying to catch up to Kamui, of which the latter knowing that Soujirou was able to gain his pace on the sidewalk, began to walk slowly in order to catch up to Soujirou with ease. Kamui could see that Soujirou's worried disposition has not dissipated as it was apparent that Soujirou was thinking of the same thing. Kamui took his time to walk in silence by Soujirou's side still deliberating whether to ask Sanjounin's question.

Still deliberating in his mind because he had told Nishida that he was already the old Kamui who had made a decision. He was telling himself that he was going to stick to it no matter how much his heart ached curiously for an answer. And his heart, that broken thing that he did not wish to listen to anymore, kept furiously hounding Kamui to ask his question.

"Soujirou," Kamui finally called, then stopping his mouth from saying anything further.

"Yes?"

"Do you remember anything… about me?"

Soujirou stopped in his tracks and tried hard to think. "I think so..." he answered.

"_Sou…_" Kamui nodded and continued to walk. That Soujirou could not add anything else must mean that it's a sign for him to continue what he had thought of.

"Tell me something specific and I might know," Soujirou encouraged cheerfully. "Is it something about your law school degree? Or your father's campaign?"

Kamui sighed heavily and shook his head. "Tell me if you remember…" he began nervously. "… When did I plan to marry Suzaku-sama?"

Soujirou's smile instantly faded, as if adding more insult to Kamui's thoughts. "I remember that your father has mentioned this match, but I do not remember that you had plans to finalize that with Suzaku-sama."

Kamui nodded wistfully. "_Aaa..._Maybe not all of your memories have indeed returned."

Soujirou held on to Kamui's arm to stop him from walking any further. The gloom on Kamui's face seemed more evident and Soujirou wasn't sure that what he was going to say could change it for the better.

"I was searching through the files for Mizuno-san's website and I saw that I have a folder about you as well," Soujirou told him.

Kamui raised an eyebrow. "You were also stalking me?" he asked, looking quite disgusted.

"_Iyaaa!_ It was never about you! It was always about Mizuno-san!" Soujirou complained, squealing his mutual disgust. He angrily whisked his hand into his pocket and fished out his cell phone.

"But you had all thought of me as Mizuno-san's stalker that I have searched for all the women you, Sanjou-kun and Kenta-kun adored and then I saw that yours was particularly a little bit popular being secretly stalked by other men on the Internet," Soujirou continued to talk while irately fidgeting the screen on his cell phone. "And just last year, almost made infamous by her association with you!"

"Soujirou… slow down. I am getting confused." Kamui gestured to rub his temple with his fingers to show a headache. "How can I make Suzaku-sama infamous? The Emperor would not give his permission to me if I have dishonored her in any way."

Soujirou shook his head and with a worried look on his face, he showed the face of his mobile phone to Kamui. "I was not talking about Suzaku-sama," he said. "I was talking about _her_."

Soujirou had zoomed an old newspaper article that showed Kamui running by the shore of the Sumida. The fireworks had flashed in the sky. It looked as if they had really flashed in Kamui's eyes because he had seen the colors come alive before him. This was because he just now remembered how this day went - the day he was bored to see another ceremony sponsored by his father in the Sumida festival. He remembers the calm of that river and the darkness in the sky as a fitting backdrop to the fireworks his father and Hino-dono donated.

Most of all, Kamui remembered that feeling of holding her, even though it seemed (almost) against her will.

_"Reporters!" Kamui answered what was in her thoughts. "We have to get rid of them."_

_"Matte!" she shouted, skidding her heels to stop. She shrugged his hand off her arm and looked at him angrily. "There must be a better way than this!"_

_Ten minutes later, Kamui was rowing a boat on the Sumida along with a few couples wearing their yukata and waiting for the fireworks to begin. Hino Rei was resting her chin on her hand, her eyes fixed on the sky waiting for the fireworks as well. Kamui laughed. He did not expect the situation to progress this good - sitting with a _bijin_ on a boat on the Sumida waiting for the fireworks, like a perfect high school date. It was _**her**_ idea._

"Kamui? _Oi..._Kamui?" Soujirou called out to his friend to break him out of his dazed silence. "I do not remember her name… but this is her. Your _miko. _It says here that she is your girlfriend, which is probably why I remember you mentioning her more than Suzaku-sama."

Girlfriend? The word sent a shiver down Kamui's entire being and right through his memory.

_"About the caption in this newspaper where they said you were my girlfriend..." Kamui's voice trailed. "I hope that didn't anger you."_

_"No, it didn't," Rei answered, shaking her head, giving him a faint smile for reassurance. "After all, it was just-"_

"-A mistake," Kamui repeated out loud in front of Soujirou.

"_Nani?_" It was Soujirou's turn to be confused.

"She is not my girlfriend," Kamui flatly reiterated.

"_Sou desu ka…._" Soujirou scratched his head as he zoomed on the caption on the screen of his cell phone. "I just don't understand why the caption here says that she is."

"You just have not regained all of your memories, Soujirou."

"I know! I know! You keep telling me! But as vividly as I remember being V-Knight in Ami-san's world, I will certainly remember everything else!" Soujirou exclaimed in exasperation. "But don't you remember even just a little from this?"

Kamui took one more glance at the photo that Soujirou was cheerfully pointing at. It was just one memory, and what he saw in his head right now was just one small glimpse.

"No," Kamui sullenly replied, instantly discouraging Soujirou's hope that he had given Kamui a breakthrough.

Kamui walked swiftly past Soujirou so that he would not be obliged to look his friend in the eye or else Soujirou might just see through him-seeing how his face evidently shows how much his heart was sinking.

So for now, it is best to just lie to Soujirou.

* * *

…

_Touka. Nigatsu. (February 10)_

"Rei-chan…." _ojii-_chan called out for the third time and was disappointed that he was again not heard He then grabbed his scarf and tied it around his neck to move closer to his granddaughter, who was preoccupied with sweeping the fallen leaves on the shrine's path.

Lest the old man strain his voice any further, Phobos and Deimos came over with the former flying to perch on Rei's broom and the other on her shoulder. This was the only time that Rei came to her consciousness that someone was behind calling her name.

"_Ojii-chan_… _gomen,_ I was preoccupied," Rei said apologetically. "I will finish this soon. You don't have to stay outside in this cold."

"I love this weather," the old man cheerfully told her. "I am worried about you. We have closed and there is no one coming. You don't have to do that anymore."

"I want to," Rei insisted, smiling.

"Don't you have any work for school or for Ono-san?"

Rei shook her head and began to sweep the leaves with her broom again. "Those are all done."

_Ojii-san_ nodded. "So I guess you ran out of busy things to do…to keep _him_ out of your head."

Rei stopped sweeping abruptly, feeling ashamed that her grandfather had noticed. "I just prefer to do this, instead, _ojii-chan_," she replied defensively.

"And going to the Sacred Fire to meditate just makes leaves your mind empty to think of him."

So she had been discovered and her _ojii-chan_ was keen to know all this time. "I have done all I can. I called him but he would not call me back," Rei said, since it was of no use to hide what has been discovered. "Whenever I try to see him, he is always out. And I just cannot catch him."

"You...cannot catch him? It does not sound right. I have spoken to Asano-san myself before and I know that if he wants to be here, he will move mountains to be here."

"But what if… he doesn't want to more mountains anymore..._ojii-chan_?"

Her grandfather sighed at the sight of the huge cloud of gloom that loomed on his granddaughter when she had spoken that. "You mean… he and Suzaku-sama?"

Rei kept sweeping, preferring not to reply.

"Your mother once told me that everything about love is a risk, and that trusting and waiting despite that risk is what makes that love," spoke _ojii-chan_ tenderly. "I guess this is why she continued to wait on your father despite everything else until the end. I have seen the hurt she endured at that time, but of course...I have not realized your father's devotion to his work or to his wife until recently."

"But the thing is even though I did not know the mutual trust they had for each other, I wish I had intervened so that I would not see my daughter suffer through all that," continued _ojii-chan_, a little bit tearful at the remembrance. "I wished I at least offered a way for your mother to escape the pain even just for a little while."

"_Ojii-chan_…" Rei called out, speechless and touched by her grandfather's words.

"Which is why, I am intervening on your behalf, in this case."

"What do you mean, _ojii-chan_?"

"I know how well you think of Asano-san. But if in the case that he decides otherwise…." Rei's grandfather paused, scowling for a bit thinking of that ugly possibility given that he has an equally high regard for Asano-san himself (for his granddaughter). "...I am willing to give you a way of escape, even if it's just for a short time, to leave Japan and go to Hawaii."

"Hawaii?" Rei was completely surprised at the unlikely suggestion.

"I have an old classmate there in Ishizuchi Jinja who is ready to help you on my behalf," her grandfather explained. "He is excited that you can go and teach some juniors on how to be a _miko_."

"In the case that Asano-san chooses to get married to the Crown Princess, you can sit out all the depressing news about this event, which I am sure will be shown everywhere in Japan. You can stay there in Ishizuchi Jinja where you will be busy and you can stay as long as you want."

Rei heaved a little sigh and smiled weakly at her grandfather. "It...does sound like a good plan."

_Ojii-chan_ smiled at his granddaughter's trite yet meaningful answers. The expression in her eyes were clearer in confirming his suspicions. "It's a good plan for me because I will also have to sit out seeing any kind of pain you might experience...or at least try to hide from me," he gently told her. " All you have to do is ask. Everything has been arranged."

_Arigatou gozaimasu_, _ojii-chan_…." she told him appreciatively, giving a short bow to her grandfather.

But Rei's _ojii-chan_ walked closely toward her and she looked up after hearing his wooden sandals clunk on the path. Her grandfather bent his head down until he was at the same eye level as she, and gently poked Rei's nose with his finger. "But in case you're still waiting for a better answer, the answer is that - until then, you must not give up."

"This might just be the third chance!" _ojii-chan_ encouraged with a smile.

Rei's eyes popped in disbelief. "_Ne...ojii-chan_… you can't be referring to the Law of Fourth Chances?"

Her grandfather nodded "If it fails, you have another one," he cheerfully added.

* * *

…

_Jugonichi. Nigatsu. (February 15)_

"It starts now."

Four of them had said that today at different hours after spending their yesterdays, a Valentine, alone, contemplating about this eventful day.

...

_Gozen Rokuji Sampun. (6:03 am)_

Sanjounin was up all night just after his single was released. Morie-san said that there would be a gestation of two weeks to know if it has gained acceptance from the public, but Sanjounin could not wait.

It doesn't matter to him if Japan would love his new band. What matters is that the literal girl of his dreams would hear it and know that it her who he was looking for. Sixteen hours after Morie-san announced that 'Nephrite' was launched into the world, Sanjounin still sat in his messy and soon to be dank apartment waiting for a call. Or a visit. It sounds impossible but he knows of no other way that could work.

"It starts now," Sanjounin shrugged as he picked up all the dirty clothes from his floor.

Two weeks. _Kuso!_ By that time, he would have cleaned his living room at least. The agony of waiting would be suppressed by this kind of work.

...

_Gozen Juuji. (10:00 am)_

Soujirou congratulated himself for slipping into the studio without being recognized as…well, the acclaimed V-Knight. Nobody of course would think that the chivalrous _bishounen_ chess champion would be a secretary - a female secretary.

Soujirou quietly and masterfully slipped into the shadows of the set in four inch heels like a _shinobi_. He was now standing atop a ladder on the sides of the set where he could see and hear the entire show completely. But this _shinobi's_ heart was tested at the sight of Ami Mizuno walking slowly towards the set with her head bowed. Soujirou could see her being harassed by the director and producers for causing delays in the airing but she seemed to hear nothing of their rants.

"Mizuno-san, I beg you!" one of them knelt down to ask her. "Do you think V-Knight would come?"

Ami Mizuno raised her head and nodded. "I have asked him," she said softly. "I believe in him."

"_Mattaku… _We are supposed to air live right now!" the director screamed in panic. "What shall we do?"

Ami calmly moved past from the panicking herd and went straight to the center of the set where the two chairs flanked a table that had the Iron Grandmaster chess board. She looked wearily at the empty chair in opposite her and after gaining her composure, sat down on the chair in front of her.

"You can start airing," Ami Mizuno said. "We will all wait for V-Knight. If he doesn't show up, then you can declare that I have lost for forfeiting to a champion."

"Mizuno-san, if you understand how television works completely," one of the producers began. "All this waiting for V-Knight will just boost the ratings. The audience would love to see you wait there for V-Knight whether he shows up or not. But if he does not, we will have a good show but you would have lost a good reputation for losing your own bet."

Ami nodded. "I understand. But as I said, I believe in him."

"Why?"

Ami smiled and said to them, "You can start airing now, Idei-san."

The producers were last to leave Ami Mizuno, aghast at her determination because they did not understand the reason behind it at all.

"I did say it before...that I will let you win," whispered the _shinobi_ in the sidelines. "But I'm glad that you know that it just won't be in this way."

"We are airing in 4...3...2…." the director began counting.

"...1! _Ima-yo_!"

All the lights opened and shined beautifully on Ami Mizuno as the announcer spoke of a mysterious moment, himself wondering whether V-Knight would appear as Mizuno-san has challenged.

Soujirou wiped the lipstick from his lips with his glove and smiled at the newly bejeweled red mask in his hand. "It starts now," he whispered.

….

_Gogo Niji Sanjuuyonpun. (2:45 pm)_

Kenta Maeda sat next to the benches near _Hachiko, _near the Shibuya station. It was cold enough and he was thankful that his scarf was able to keep him warm and hide half of his face from the public. He also tied his long hair into a bun and put on his shades so that he could not be recognized while his billboard was still incredibly visible at the Shibuya crosswalk.

"It starts now," he told himself as he scoured the crowd for a familiar face. Kenta thought that if he had seen his 'prince' here, then he would be able to find his 'prince' in the same place. In the same crowded place where he felt his presence trigger a great force in him that he cannot explain.

As he waited, his cell phone began to vibrate. He had just received an email message from the old-fashioned _omi-ai_ he had earlier contacted. There were only four words in that message but those were enough to rivet some enthusiasm inside of him.

The _omi-ai_ simply said, "I have found her."

….

_Gogo Rokuji. (6:00 pm) _

Kamui Asano's warm breath misted before him and was not much comfort to the chilly breeze stinging on his cheeks. He has been here since 5:30 pm but he did not even put any effort to rise on a single step from then on. It was strange because shortly before 5:30, Kamui was incredibly resolute to climb the steps of Hikawa Jinja until he saw the tops of the _torii_ posts hovering high as he was halfway through it. Then he heard his heart beat beat loudly than the steps he made, which made him stop, because that meant that he was losing his breath. And he was also losing the part of him being staunchly resolute.

His watch now read 6:02. That was more than enough time to stay where he is. So he reluctantly ran through the steps until he was panting when he reached the top. He ran so that it could already be over but reaching the zenith was another hurdle. Kamui could see the _torii _post and the Sanctuary where the Sacred Fire was where he was. But he did not see Rei Hino.

_Why do I want to see her anyway?_ he thought angrily. Kamui rehearsed that line in his head that it was all done. There was no turning back.

_Tame, Izen no Gogo Yonjihan. (Because earlier at 4:30 pm)_

"_Hontou, Asano-san?" Suzaku-sama gave a huge smile, unable to conceal her excitement. _

_Nishida coughed loudly and then gave a huge sigh, a reflex showing his hesitation, but to which reaction Kamui knew Nishida decided not to control on purpose that Kamui prompted to give a strong nudge to Nishida's leg in order to remind his valet._

"_Hai, Suzaku-sama," Kamui answered formally. "My father is meeting with the Emperor today regarding our engagement. They will let us know when will be the proper time of our announcement."_

"_I am so glad, Asano-san," Suzaku-sama said, beaming at Kamui. "You have made me the happiest woman in the world today."_

Happiest woman in the world. He should've been honored. And exhilarated at the thought that the Crown Princess herself accepted his proposal. Maybe it is just the manner of it all. The entire courtship with the Crown Princess seemed more like a business proposal.

Kamui felt like he was dragging his feet to the Sacred Fire. There was no one to stop him there or so he thought. Phobos and Deimos remained perched at the _torii_ post waiting for their master until they saw the present incarnation of their former enemy. But when he returned, Phobos and Deimos knew that this present self that came to Hikawa Jinja has lost all the demonic power of Metallia and Elis, but has regained for himself a different kind of negative energy. So they hovered around Kamui during his entire walk to the Sacred Fire but his thoughts rendered him ignorant of ravens that flew above him.

So Phobos and Deimos immediately swooped down in front of Kamui's path, just a few feet away from his intended destination as an order to stop. Kamui was surprised to find two ravens looking strange at him and took another of his moments to postpone his walk towards the Sacred Fire. Kamui realized only fear at seeing them. He did not understand why because only his instincts remembered how he was attacked by these two on the very same path.

But then, the shades of night were appearing. His watch said it was 6:13. Kamui gave a short bow to the ravens and uttered, "_Gomen_," before making a mad dash to the Sanctuary. Kamui was sure that he was going to be chased but the two ravens were disheartened that they were not able to stop the present Jadeite from doing what they can only sense as detrimental to their Princess. They instead flew back atop the _torii_ post to wait for their master, who they was sure was coming in only a few moments, as she always did at this time. Their job as her guardian was to warn her and they could only hope that they could tell her in time.

Kamui, in the meantime, felt a different kind of calm inside the Sanctuary. The Sacred Fire was completely ablaze but its flames were quite soothing, especially on this rather chilly night. He let himself wonder why Rei Hino in the past would choose this place to meet him and tell him that she could help regain his memories.

There were harder memories that he had indeed regained but those were not through her help. Even Ryoichi Hino confirmed that the flashback in Kamui's mind, where Kaidou and Rei Hino were caught in a kiss right before this Sacred Fire, only meant that Kaidou-san sought to marry his mentor's daughter. Kamui was standing right at the place where he saw that kiss happen because the small glimpse in the past concurred with the exact margins framing in his memory, as though standing at the same scene helped recreate it again right before him. And thus, it allowed his heart to break for the third time.

"_This is her...Your miko!"_

Soujirou's voice echoed in Kamui's head as he reached for the wood block that contained his own handwriting. Why would he ever wish for Rei Hino? It will be an unlikely match for rival families to marry anyway. There were many obstacles to it.

It is as it should be. Kaidou-san will take care of Rei Hino. Kamui is in a rare position where he is highly favored by the Emperor, as the very son of the prime minister himself. And after all, he had already given his father and Suzaku-sama his decision. That was final.

The Sacred Fire furiously whipped its flames and Kamui thought that it had called him by name. An old name. And beckoning it to come near it to offer its refuge, as though it was to tell him its secret.

So Kamui, continuing in his former resolute line of thinking, felt the final ridges of the wood block on his hand and then later summoned all of his will to reach into the Sacred Fire without it. The wood block flew straight from Kamui's hands into the hands of the flames as though in a slow, dreamlike manner, after it was hastily thrown away.

"It is too late, Rei-san," Kamui muttered to himself sadly, as he watched the wood block disappear in the huge flames. If Soujirou was right and an important memento would enable them to remember everything well, then this wood block that Nishida claims he himself had hidden in order to help him remember, would do the trick. But they were both of no use that Kamui stood to this day, the saddest of all favored sons. He turned his back on the Sacred Fire, still a skeptic of all his decisions, and was set to walk back to his house firmly resigned on his calculated risk.

But that was until something sought to prove Soujirou correct. The wood block crackled under the heat of the flames. The large crackling sound seemed so unusual for such a small thing to be burned. But that was because this was no ordinary fire.

Kamui looked back to see the crackling noise underneath the flames. Then in the same way that he had stepped how this exact place reenacted the scene where Kaidou-san has kissed Rei, the same scene under the fireworks that he had remembered earlier had come alive. Then the different images came flashing fast like bolts of light hitting his eyes and sending different images from all the places he and Rei had stepped on.

All these were the scores of flashbacks running down Kamui's head at the moment, in the same fashion as the one Soujirou felt when he saw his own memento, the mask of V-Knight. Now, Kamui understood why it was difficult for Soujirou and how Soujirou had gaps in remembering everything. It was the rush of all these memories that came in sordid and immediate flashbacks and it would take some time to comprehend and piece them all together chronologically.

Rei Hino had appeared to him as a princess of Mars. She walked before him as a _senshi_ of the past fighting Beryl and in this present one fighting Elis. She came before him as a cautious _miko_, wondering about his curiosity of her.

In all of these scenes, she had appeared as beautiful as the moment Kamui first saw her.

And the last one made Rei appear before Kamui in a red dress and purple scarf, with her dark eyes glistening under the moonlight. Kamui realized that the light that shown on her was the one above the Tomesatsu, after the fireworks were finished. There was a thrill, this excitement inside of him welling deeper inside of him as that night. The cold _miko_ of Hikawa Jinja was finally letting him see her, completely through her vulnerability-one that he had already known before but one that she herself was only willing to admit to him right now.

"_It is too late now, isn't it, Kamui-san?" Rei told him, trying hard to smile. _

"Too late…." Kamui sadly repeated, only this time, he was not asking her.

"_If you would just marry me instead...K-Kamui-san...b-because…" Rei struggled to say._

Kamui bit his lip in constant impatience.

"_B-because...I love you._"

The last words seemed to fill the place with echoes. Rei Hino's image disappeared quickly right before Kamui but those last words faded slowly as they now were etched firmly in his memories, complete with the exact emotions and thoughts that he was feeling at that time to confirm that Kamui's memories have all completely returned.

As it turns out, Kamui's memento was not the wood block that contained his wish. It was the Sacred Fire that he had earlier sought to confirm that one memory about Kaidou that kept him from Rei. In return, the Sacred Fire only desired to share to him its secret as a witness to everything about its _miko_, to the one guy who mattered to her the most.

_What have I done?_ His father already received his decision. The Crown Princess was already planning the announcement. There's so much tension in his heart right now as to why he had jumped into this conclusion.

All of that made Kamui storm out of the Sanctuary with him hearing his heart beating louder than his steps once again. The night was darker than usual but it would be another sound that would give him another memory of his darkest day. He heard wings flutter above him because the ravens were frantically calling out to their master. And Rei, when she had seen that favored figure of Kamui in the distance, took no stops in rushing at after him that Kamui found his path blocked once again.

"Kamui…" Rei called out, her piercing dark eyes glistening again, as she smiled at him. Phobos and Deimos sadly stood by their princess and anxiously waited with her for Kamui's response.

Kamui could not speak for awhile. He was out of breath as his heart was beating faster than usual. The real Rei Hino once again appeared to him, and this image is one of her that he had longed more than ever because it was not a faded vision of her looking ever so beautiful. It was the solid reality of her, with the wind blowing her long, dark tresses in place, only to elegantly fall on her comely face with an expression that was longing for him.

Rei had absolutely no idea that just by standing there, she had wrecked that much damage to Kamui. Shenoticed how distraught Kamui was and felt extremely worried by his disposition.

"Kamui...I wanted so long to see you," she could not help saying anyway. "You were so busy whenever I came so I tried to call."

Kamui fell into a deep silence for awhile. _It is not too late_… he wanted to say again. But that would be false hope. Now that he remembered the one who mattered most in his world, it was unfair for her to receive that.

"Rei-san..._gomen nasai. _I have only come here to ask for Kami-sama's blessings," Kamui told her. "And then I have to go and continue my business, especially… "

Kamui swallowed hard before he could continue. "… before Suzaku-sama and I make our announcement."

Kamui could see the immediate inhale of surprise on Rei's face. It only took a few moments before she understood the exact consequences of what Kamui had told her. But it was better this way.

"Kamui-san…but your memories?" Rei asked, trying her best to stay calm. "Do you remember them?"

"_No…_" Kamui could not look at her as he spoke.

"Then we still can-"

"-You have done so much for me already, Rei-san. You do not have to do anything more to help me regain my memories."

Rei tried to smile. "It is no bother for me to do it for you, Kamui-san. There is nothing else I want for you but for you to regain what you have lost."

"It's because you want the old Kamui back, the Kamui that you remember!" he told her gruffly, escaping her gaze by looking down at his feet. "But I have decided that I will start fresh and move on without that part of my past behind. This new Kamui will not have any burdens of that accident and will go to great lengths to honor the politics that you have despised."

Rei can't help but be surprised by Kamui's sudden coldness. She inhaled deeper to keep any of her tears from falling. As she did that, the cold breeze swept Kamui's cheek and he looked up to see Rei Hino biting her lip with glassy eyes. He realized that he had dropped harsh words to her and she was coping to keep her armor back on, with her pride intact, the same distance the first time he met her.

He then proceeded to take three more steps taking it as his cue to leave. He did not want to suffer anymore for an explanation. Kamui was aiming for a quick exit so that he could proceed to another mad dash where he could go to a place where he could not see that face of Rei Hino that he had hurt that day. Except that as soon as Rei felt the nearness of him, there was a part of her that ached more in missing his presence-and this part of her weighed more than her pride.

So when Kamui was exactly by Rei's side, she was swift enough to grab his left arm with her left hand, such that they were standing side by side yet looking the opposite way. Kamui had nothing on him except to stop even though reason once again told him he did not have to. But there was no way that he can betray his true instinct, which was to linger by her side.

"It's true that I want you to remember your past. It's because I know that it is important to what you have become," Rei bitterly admitted to him, leaning her head on his left shoulder. "But it's not true that I only want the old Kamui."

Rei took a moment to compose herself, taking deep breaths to make sure that she will speak the right words. "It did not matter which Kamui came here, just as long as he was Kamui. Just as long as he was you."

Silence. This was Kamui thinking of a logical answer. A logical unhurting answer, except that he had none left in him save for the truth.

"_Arigatou_, Rei-san, but…" Kamui finally spoke, gently removing her grasp from his arm. "...But I have already decided."

He took two slow steps towards the exit and without looking at her parted bitterly with, "It is too late now."

Kamui briskly walked down the stairs of Hikawa Jinja without looking back. It was a temptation he continuously fought every five steps down that long descent. It seemed to him like a contest of will power as to how much more he can take. Kamui reminded himself that he had already give his father his decision...that the Emperor is more willing to accept him as a son-in-law rather than Hino-dono...that going back against this would endanger his and his family's honor for years to come….

...That Rei Hino would be better in the care of Kaidou-san.

Then, Kamui Asano reached the final step and found himself walking listlessly down the sidewalk of Hikawa Jinja and came to the place where his car was parked. That was where he got the courage to look at his left arm and gently felt the part where Rei Hino leaned her head.

His sleeve was slightly damp. Those were her tears.

It was still a cold, wintry night that February after Valentine's Day. But Kamui still took off his coat and felt that the breeze of the night stinging all over him as good enough penance for the hurt he has just inflicted on her. Then, after he gently caressed that part in his sleeve where Rei Hino's tears had fallen, he embraced his coat as tight as he could to feel that last remnant of her.

Kamui closed his eyes and imagined the images of her have returned. All of her that were smiling at him…relishing the best of these memories for the last time.

- tsuzuku -

* * *

**chiisai noto:**

Remember, Kamui = Jadeite. Kenta = Kunzite. Soujirou = Zoicite. Sanjounin = Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) Oh my gosh… you have no idea how it hurts for me to write this. ;_; Ashita Hareru Kana by Kuwata Keisuke (the Piano Instrumental theme from Proposal wo Daisakusen dorama) is even being played as I write, deepening the pain. Of course, it doesn't end yet. How it ends… I am writing that. Thank you for staying by this story all this time. For a lot of this, I am looking at how this would appear on Japanese dorama and yet staying closely to the attitude of the manga.


	30. 28: Consequence

Hi no Himitsu (The Fire's Secret) : **Chapter 28 - CONSEQUENCE**

**Jisho/Dictionary:  
ANOOO**… Well… Umm…**  
ARIGATOU /DOMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASHITA**… Thank you**  
BAKA / BAKERO**… Fool / Stupid**  
CHOTTO MATTE** … Please wait a little**  
DAIJOUBU**… It is ok**  
GOMENE / GOMEN NASAI**… I'm sorry**  
HAI**… Yes**  
HONTOU**… Really**  
IMA-YO**… Now**  
KOGYARU**… Tanned girls with blonde hair, a phenomenon in Japan inspired by pop stars**  
KONNICHIWA** … Good afternoon**  
MASAKA**… No way/But…**  
MIKO**… Shrine attendant**  
NANI** … What?**  
OJII-SAN** … Grandfather**  
OMI-AI** … Love matchmaker**  
OYAKU-SAMA** ….Sir/Ma'am**  
SENPAI**… Senior person**  
SENSHI** … Soldier (in this case, referring to the sailor _senshi_)**  
SOU KA / SOU DESU KA…** Oh… Is that so**  
SUIMASEN**… Sorry/Excuse me**  
TOMODACHI**… Friend**  
WAKATTA** … Ok/I understand**  
YOSHI**… Ok/Good

**In the Previous Chapter:**

After telling his father of his decision to marry Suzaku-sama, Kamui proceeded to finally give up all of his mementos. In the midst of that, he and the rest of his friends (Kenta, Sanjounin and Soujirou) met for a meeting at Sanjounin's unkempt apartment. There Soujirou revealed that he had indeed recovered his memories except for some few gaps. But when Soujirou revealed that a magical force named Elis is the source of their accident, the three of them stood in disbelief, except for Kenta, who believe that the part where they must search for 'their prince' is true.

Kenta was in fact resolute to finding 'their prince' and has even returned to Takei-sensei's play to play opposite Minako as a lead. (Minako swooned when she realized.)

Rei's grandfather told Rei that he would not allow his granddaughter to experience the pain he saw her mother experience. In the case that Kamui would choose to marry Suzaku-sama, he has already set a plan for Rei to go and do a teaching mission in Ishizuchi Jinja in Hawaii, far away from all the news in Japan for the celebrated wedding.

Soujirou further revealed that he has learned all of this by discovering the mask of V-Knight that triggered the return of his memories especially that of being V-Knight himself. Soujirou said since he has recovered his memories this way, it would also be scientific for the rest to seek out their own mementos or souvenirs to regain theirs. So each of them then began to search for their own - Soujirou who has found his memento and would know seek to get on the Iron Grandmaster broadcast, Sanjounin by releasing his song on Valentine's Day and Kenta by seeking their prince.

Kamui, on the other hand, despite having been revealed by Soujirou of an article in the newspaper of his _miko_ "girlfriend" in the Sumida and the sudden flashback just by that photo, was resolved to burn his wood block memento in order to be certain of his decision. As soon as he went there and did that, the Sacred Fire began to reveal its 'Secret' and became the ultimate memento that would give Kamui all of his memories. To add insult to injury, he had seen Rei Hino enter Hikawa Jinja at that time. Despite being persuaded by Rei to help in regaining his memories, Kamui, despite his hesitation to do so, told Rei that he would no longer need his past and would instead start fresh on his future. He parted with her saying that it is too late and dashed out of Hikawa Jinja with a heavy heart.

(Remember: Kamui Asano is Jadeite; Kenta Maeda is Kunzite; Soujirou Nishimura is Zoicite; Sanjounin Masato is Nephrite. See Author's Notes on WHY these names.)

* * *

…

_Nigatsu. Jurokunichi. (February __16__)_

The day after is always the hardest. Phobos and Deimos kept vigil on their princess that night as she chose to stay by the Sacred Fire and clear her mind of him in meditation and tears. Unfortunately, the chants she recited could only drive away evil spirits but not her depression. She opened her eyes slowly that morning and ignored the little pains on her back from sleeping on the cold floor. The cold light of the morning was unexpectedly breezy because the Sacred Fire was already extinguished by the time Rei Hino woke up.

Phobos and Deimos stood a little away from the extinguished fire and waited for their princess to rise. When she turned away, they called to her until she acquiesced to their side. Between both of them was the remainder of wood, about a quarter of it that remained, that Kamui threw in the fire. Phobos and Deimos were unaware of the secret that the fire revealed to Kamui that released back his missing memories but they managed to sort this remnant one out to present to their princess to show her that not even such a huge fire could consume a wish-that if that had been the case, then the impossible can happen and she should not give up. There was a risk that but the guardians were not in their past forms that they have the ability to speak and comfort their princess in words. So now, they simply presented it to her with that simple hope that she would sense their true message as she usually did.

Rei knelt down and held the wood in her hands and saw only half of the first character of "_miko"_ that Kamui wrote with his own hand. She felt its edges to remember what it felt like when she had kept it in its complete form. This action weakened her that she dropped her relic of him on the floor, jolting Phobos and Deimos to jump out from their places.

"In the distant past during our days on the Moon, I remember burning a memento of his so that I could easily forget him," Rei's voice crumbled as she spoke to her guardians. "Now, he has burned this because he chose not to remember me."

Though she tried her best, she could not help but have tears drop on her coal-lined fingers. Last night just wasn't enough to empty all her tears. Phobos and Deimos immediately rushed to fly to their princess's lap to comfort her as she softly sobbed out her frustration.

"_Arigatou...minna…_" she told them helplessly. Just for today, Rei will be resigned to this fact and allow herself to soak in her tears once more. She's not sure that tomorrow will be a different day but there's just a comfort that it will pass.

* * *

…

_Nigatsu. Jugonichi. (February __15__)_

_(Undisclosed time.)_

Aiko Asano immediately saw Nishida's rough and obstinate walk when he entered the family room. She also noticed the serious stare underneath his dark shades. After he bowed to her, she patiently waited for him to catch his breath and speak his mind.

"First off, I would like to apologize in advance for being honest, Asano-san," Nishida grunted underneath those words. "But it is only because I truly care for the welfare of Kamui-san."

Aiko Asano nodded to acknowledge.

"I think that Kamui-san is making a big mistake," Nishida boldly told her.

Aiko Asano understood what Nishida meant but she still calmly took a long moment to think. "Asano-dono and I have faith in Kamui. He never decides hastily and always thinks before he acts."

"But with all due respect, Asano-san...he is not the same Kamui we know."

"All I'm saying, Nishida…" Aiko Asano gently raised her hand to gesture for Nishida to listen. "...is that in the end, whatever happens, we will have to respect Kamui's final decision."

Nishida nodded to acknowledge without masking his own disappointment to his mistress.

"I have already spoken to my wise husband and he already knows what to do now that he is speaking with the Emperor. Until then, we can only influence how the stars act on their own fates."

Nishida took a moment to repeat Aiko Asano's cryptic words. Those were things that he could not understand fully but that there was something in there he knew he could count on for encouragement.

"After all," Aiko Asano said with her famous husband's smirk. "I made a promise to that girl."

* * *

…

_Nigatsu. Jugonichi. (February 15)_

_Gozen Juujirokupun. (10:05 am)_

"_Ima-yo!_"

The lights went completely bright on Ami Mizuno's face. A huge squeal of static from the mics were heard for a few seconds until there was complete silence on that brightly lit set.

Ami panned her sight across that room searching for a familiar image. Through the lines of people from the production staff to a group of suits representing the producers and one director biting his nails in anticipation, Ami sat calmly on her chair. For a little while, she saw herself on the monitor and gave a weak smile.

"Five minutes have passed...will V-Knight come and face Mizuno-san for the title?" the voice of the announcer boomed across the set that surprised Ami for a second.

Then Ami Mizuno maintained her composure and sat down to wait.

For ten minutes.

For fifteen minutes.

For thirty-five minutes, and that was a long time to pretend staying calm in front of an audience of millions while her heart was completely antsy, Ami Mizuno was now managing how to keep the faith in having V-Knight return.

At forty three minutes, she knew she could no longer hold her tears. Sitting against an empty opponent with untouched chess pieces for another five minutes would cause her to break down on national television with the announcer giving a blow by blow account of how each chair fell.

Ami finally stood up and walked to the center of the stage to bow down and thank the virtual audience. "_Domo arigatou gozaimashita, minna-san_," she greeted. "I have come here with the same hope as all of you did that the real champion will emerge from this contest. I have waited long enough for him not because I believe that he will beat me...but because I want to know for myself if I can beat him."

"Maybe it's not for us to know the real outcome," Ami continued, trying to smile beneath her sad disposition. "But for myself, I will forever wonder…."

Then immediately, the lights went out including the monitor that was showing the live broadcast, setting the entire crew into panic. But Ami sighed out of all that commotion seeing this more as a reprieve from explaining any further regarding her true longing of seeing V-Knight. It would have ended safely that way for her and it would have boosted ratings much to the delight of the producers.

But the true V-Knight's presence would delight them even more because the lights went on and Ami heard a unanimous gasp from the line of people in front of her. She gave a moment to wonder and then she saw herself on the monitor and the image of the one she was waiting for.

"For that you do not have to wonder," the red-masked V-Knight said behind her. "Because I have already come."

Ami's heart sprung to life once again and she ran towards her seat to skid just right opposite him. Her smile showed that she could not mask her own delight upon seeing him.

"It can't be! The majestic V-Knight has arrived!" the announcer frantically announced. "Now we shall see who will become the true Iron Grandmaster!"

Drums and gongs erupted as Ami and V-Knight sat on their seats. V-Knight rested his elbow on the table and grinned as he moved a pawn. The first move.

There were only seven moves exchanged and Ami's concentration had diminished from the start. Yet, she remained completely focused on the game and was enduring enough patience not to be distracted just because of her opponent. Yet for all the tactics and concentration, it was ultimately V-Knight who had planned every single move hereon after.

"Mizuno-san…" V-Knight whispered, drawing gasps from the spectators since it was his turn to move. "I see there would only be four more moves before I can 'check mate' your king."

"_Sou desu ka?_" Ami asked calmly. "I have two counter-moves in place before taking your queen and leave your king exposed."

"Then our moves show who would win, wouldn't it?" whispered V-Knight with a grin. "Didn't I tell you before...that I would let you win?"

_Masaka…_ heavy chills went down Ami's spine as she looked past the mask and into Soujirou's eyes. All these months of planning and finding how he would realize finally culminated into a satisfying end. "You remember," she whispered with a tear running down her cheek.

V-Knight nodded and smiled. "You do not have to wonder then," he said. "Because it was clear from the beginning that I am your match."

That was when the lights suddenly went off again sending a circle of panic running through the entire set. Even the producers were incensed at the prolonged outage of power this time right when the last fifteen minutes would pull in the biggest story they never planned happening on national television.

But by the time the light went on, the last minute of that show sounded signaling the end of the Iron Grandmaster. The announcer was forced to close the show with two empty seats at the center of its set with untouched chess pieces between them, showing an unfinished match.

* * *

…

A few minutes after the Iron Grandmaster was closed, Ami found herself mysteriously in V-Knight's arms, at the parking lot across the station's building. She blushed and gently pushed V-Knight from her. "Soujirou-san… how did you do that?" she asked in disbelief that he could somehow teleport.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully. "I just...I just wanted…."

Ami waited for an answer as she was shivering in the cold. Both she and V-Knight since they had mysteriously appeared outside that parking lot without their coats. But Soujirou seemed to be bothered by the cold so much that he hesitated to answer.

"Do you...remember everything, Soujirou-san?" Ami asked instead.

Soujirou nodded. "There are still some gaps but I have known enough...even to how much you changed since then."

"Changed since?"

"Since you were the princess." Soujirou paused to bite his lip for some warmth. "Of Mercury."

"_Sou ka…_" Ami smiled and shivered because of the excitement welling within her. "You have also changed!" She then grabbed Soujirou's bejeweled mask from his face and grinned to taunt him. "V-Knight?"

"It was the only way the grand Mizuno Ami-san would allow me to combat her. Even if I am a genius at Tokyo Tech, you never thought that I was your equal."

"_Gomene_...Soujirou-san," Ami told him sighing, her cheeks burning despite the cold. "I have realized that late."

Soujirou smiled and reached out for her both her hands, pressing them tight. "But you waited for me."

Ami Mizuno smiled and instantly felt that now was the best time to deliver that millenia-old excuse that she had given when she was the Princess of Mercury. "I'm...cold, Soujirou," she said coyly smiling with blushed cheeks.

"_Anoo...gomen_," whispered Soujirou, before slowly coming over to her side and tightly gave her an embrace. He only felt her warmth respond when her arm tightly held him towards her. But Soujirou was not able to see the happiness that Ami reciprocated because he was not able to see her tearful smile - a sign of her being grateful that the Soujirou she knew had returned.

* * *

…

_Nigatsu. Nijuninichi. (February 22)_

"_Nani_...Usagi-chan?" Makoto pressed her ear with her finger so that she could hear her friend speak out of all the commotion happening around here.

"Mako-chan… I really must insist on your full cooperation."

"_Chotto matte_, _senpai_… I just have a very important phone call," Makoto politely pleaded with a constant bow and with her hand still pressed to her ear.

"You say that Rei-chan is leaving? That soon?" Makoto's eyes widened in surprise. "I guess I understand...she will need time to forget."

Makoto listened for a while and then finally sighed before saying, "_Daijoubu..._Just take care of Rei-chan. You don't have to worry about me."

Enzo Kakei immediately realized the huge cloud that hung over Makoto and didn't hesitate to ask. "Your sadness… doesn't seem to fit the whole idea of what you're wearing now."

Immediately feeling self-conscious, Makoto immediately faced the mirror much to the dismay of Enzo Kakei's attendants who were attending to the huge, princess-style gown she was wearing. "_Suimasen...senpai_," Makoto apologized, seeing how much her disposition wilted the gown that demanded nothing else but a blushing bride.

Enzo Kakei immediately waved his hand to all his attendants as a gesture for them to leave. As soon as they left and he and Makoto were the only ones in his store, he shook his head and told her, "I'm sure that when your boyfriend sees you in this, he will see how beautiful you are and that will bring back the missing smile on your face."

Makoto smiled weakly. "That's what started all the argument in the first place. It was great before that," she answered, pulling down one of her long gloves. "I guess he realized that we were not looking at the same things."

"Men are sure of what they want. If he decided to move on with a relationship with you, he must want you," Kakei-san said in a matter-of-fact tone. "He may just want to move on to making you as his bride on his own time. I should know."

Makoto raised an eyebrow. "_Hontou...senpai_?" With a bridal shop and everything, Makoto actually thought that _senpai_ was actually not-

"-_Sumimasen! _Are you the only people in this shop?" A stranger's voice interrupted, sending a freezing icicle down Makoto's spine.

"_Hai_, _oyaku-sama_," Kakei-_senpai_ responded, calmly walking towards the new stranger. But Makoto remained with her back turned, still lucid with surprise and waiting to verify the voice she heard.

"_Yoshi!_" Makoto heard the customer say along with a few rushed steps on that little store. "I really need a place to hide!"

"_Oyaku-sama?_ _Nande…" _Kakei-_senpai_'s voice trailed as Makoto heard the stranger ruffle through all the clothes looking for a place to hide.

"_Totemo gomen nasai!_" the customer frantically apologized. "All these girls are after me! I just need some time to hide!"

But before Kakei-_senpai_ could say anything, that stranger already crouched himself in front of Makoto so that she was able to see that familiar mop of curly hair with red streaks enough to verify that SanjouMasa was indeed, out of all the shops in that mall, inside Kakei-_senpai_'s bridal store.

_Baka! _Makoto furiously thought. She was there to see all his groupies crowding the backstage during the time they were together. A group of _kogyaru_ types even challenged her to a fight for hogging SanjouMasa's attention. But those were at most four or six. _What an overreacting, proud ba-_

"SANJOUMASA!"

Kakei-_senpai_ and Makoto jumped at the giggly sounds an entire crowd of girls made in unison. As the object of their affection crouched in front of Makoto in fright, the crowd of girls passed by chanting his name, not knowing that they had bypassed him at the bridal shop. The crowd was indeed so many that smoke literally cleared after they thunderously stormed off. Who would've thought that a famous rock star would be in that place anyway?

"_Yoshi! _Now I am safe!" SanjouMasa declared, relieved, still sitting crouched in front of Makoto and looking behind her huge pouffy skirt to verify if they were gone.

"SanjouMasa?" Enzo Kakei's jaw dropped open. "You can't be...the lead singer of Nephrite?" The very word made Makoto gulp in her pouffy dress.

"_Hai…_" sighed SanjouMasa. "I didn't think it would have this disastrous response just to find…"

SanjouMasa paused at the moment he stood up because there was this striking image before him, dressed out of all things, as a blushing bride. He barely can make out words for a whole minute while Makoto remained frozen in her place, actually feeling very ashamed at her having to see him like this...again.

"Find what, SanjouMasa?" Enzo Kakei ask impatiently.

"Didn't you hear my newest song?" SanjouMasa asked, still not moving from his place.

"Dream Destiny?" asked Enzo Kakei, seeming mesmerized. "But of course!"

"Well, I thought that by putting that song out, I would be able to find her," SanjouMasa answered. "I shouldn't have made that announcement. Now all these girls claim that they're _her!_"

"Who's _her_?" Makoto asked softly.

Sanjounin smiled. "You have not heard of my song, _miss_? You must be one of the few."

That smile, Makoto knows well, was one of Sanjounin trying to mask his disappointment. She did not understand why at the time, that Sanjounin was hoping that this beautiful stranger before him has at least heard his song.

"But thank you, sir...I really appreciate your kindness," Sanjounin appreciatively said with a bow, before heading out the exit. "Maybe soon, I can drop by your shop for a good purpose!" He laughed as he spoke, looking back to take one last look at Makoto.

"_Domo arigatou gozaimasu, _SanjouMasa-_sama!_" Enzo Kakei bowed appreciatively, flattered by being patronized by a rock star's presence.

SanjouMasa-_sama_ walked slowly away from the Enzo Kakei's shop, trying to capture every opportunity to look back at the only comely stranger who did not know about his song. Maybe something about her seemed very familiar, but if she was the very person he longed for, then she would've been easily fated to decode his song. Sanjounin still had hopes that his plan would work so for now, any stranger who beautifully resembles the princess in his dreams, would never qualify.

But it's not as if destiny could be planned based on only one person. The other party needs to respond accordingly as well. It might have been late, but Makoto, decked in the most beautiful bridal dress designed by her _senpai_, had once again left that shop with her hopes filled and could not wait to listen to SanjouMasa's new song.

* * *

…

"_Konnichiwa...Kaidou-san. _You have come so early."

Hisato Kaidou bowed low after reeling a little from the surprise greeting of Hikawa Jinja's main proprietor. "Of course, it's because you called on me," he politely acknowledged.

The old man smiled and bowed lower to Kaidou-san for receiving his favor. "_Domo arigatou gozaimasu…_" he said to Kaidou-san. "I am extremely grateful for your presence...for coming over for my granddaughter."

"It is my honor to always serve Hino-dono and his family," Kaidou-san responded.

Rei's _ojii-san_ nodded. "I have come to ask for a personal favor," the old man immediately began. "I have set a good plan for Rei-chan so that she can avoid seeing all these upcoming announcements regarding the engagement of the Crown Princess to Asano-dono's son and then causing her much loneliness."

"_Sou ka…_ so it has happened?"

The old man sighed heavily. "_Haii…_ I think it is not a secret to you to know how much my granddaughter puts him in high regard."

Kaidou-san nodded with a bitter expression on his face. "I just hope that Rei-san is well."

"She has been doing better, ever since her friends came," the old man sighed heavily again. "But she is still in the worst state...one that I dread to ever see again."

Kaidou-san nodded, swallowing hard at that and decided not to say anything.

"Therefore, I want to intervene myself and coordinated a plan to send her to Ishizuchi Jinja where she can teach some aspiring _miko_. She can be there as long as she wants because her presence is needed, but her studies in Waseda will be discontinued for the time being."

"_Haii...ojii-san,_" Kaidou-san softly answered. "I shall do my best in explaining this to Hino-dono."

"My personal favor is for you to tell Rei's father that this is my personal request. She can go there to gain more experience so that she can come back and be more mature in managing the shrine. This way we can give a more pragmatic reason that Hino-dono will accept rather than her just nursing a broken heart."

Kaidou-san nodded again. "I understand and I will gladly do it."

_Ojii-san_ nodded and smiled. "Rei is not even trying to put up a strong front as she usually does. In this case, she has given up. There is no way for her to face her father or anyone in office to even mention this reason." _Ojii-san _then bowed low again before Kaidou-san. "Your help is greatly appreciated. I am myself indebted to you."

Kaidou-san bowed to acknowledge and waited for the old man to stand straight before smiling himself. "There will be no debts, _ojii-san_. I know very well that you have specifically called on me not because of my access to Hino-dono, but because you know there is nothing that I will not do for Rei-san."

This honest statement by Kaidou-san only astonished and pleased Rei's grandfather. "She is by the fire, if you wish to see her," was the old man's presumptive answer.

After Kaidou-san bowed to Rei's grandfather again, he went straight to the Sacred Fire exactly as the old man presupposed. He has never seen Rei in the worst state and was worried about how she was doing. But as Kaidou-san was preparing to remove his shoes to enter the Sanctuary, that coincided with Rei coming out of its door so that Kaidou-san was able to see Rei above the Sanctuary steps.

"_Konnichiwa, _Kaidou-san," she greeted with a weak smile.

Rei was dressed immaculately as ever in her _miko_ robes, always polished from head to toe while wearing it. But her eyes glistened with a glassy film and her cheeks were still flustered - signs of previous tears.

"_Konnichiwa, _Rei-san. I wanted to see you before you leave for Ishizuchi Jinja."

She nodded with a genuine smile as she went down the steps to stay closer to Kaidou-san. "I should go in a few days to tell my father."

"You do not have to. I have spoken to your grandfather and we have come up with a reason enough for your father to understand. I think he will be generous to accept it, as after all, he will be busy in the coming weeks as he is inclined to reconsider the Chief Cabinet Secretary position that Asano-dono has offered him."

"_Sou ka na…._ _domo arigatou gozaimasu_, Kaidou-san," Rei replied, bowing low to Kaidou-san. "You have no idea how much your help is appreciated bec-"

"-You do not have to do that, Rei-san. I would gladly do it," Kaidou-san interrupted and gently raised her chin with his hand for her to rise until she could see him smile at her, eye to eye. "After you are finished with your mission, we will be here waiting for your return. Or if Risa-chan misses you, we shall ride on the _shinkansen_ just to visit you at Ishizuchi Jinja."

Rei smiled as well. "The _shinkansen_ cannot reach Hawaii… Kaidou-san," she sounded a bit embarrassed to correct him.

"_Aaa…_" he remarked, unable to mask his surprise. "You have to go that far, Rei-san?"

She nodded. "I have trouble forgetting," she softly answered, gracefully brushing a single tear that fell on her cheek.

Almost a year ago, the man Rei had trouble forgetting was Kaidou-san himself. Yet he found a girl who had matured and later chose to move on and have someone else eclipse her mind. Kaidou-san knew how bad Rei Hino was at forgetting that he now felt a deeper empathy to what is happening to her right now.

"I wish I can also do that for you… helping you forget," Kaidou-san could not help but say. "But then that would have been selfish."

"You are not selfish, Kaidou-san," Rei gently encouraged. "I have seen you loyally walk side by side with my father all these years and I have seen you care selflessly for Risa-chan. And now, despite everything that has happened between you and Kamui-san...you are doing this for me."

Rei gently brushed her finger on Kaidou-san's cheek, alluding to the once harshly bruised side courtesy of Kamui Asano. Kaidou-san caught that hand of hers and felt the greatest urge to speak in order to release the tension that boiled in his heart.

"Because even until now, there is nothing of myself that I can withhold from you," he replied bitterly, still holding her hand to his cheek.

Rei did wish that there was something of her that he could give to him. Despite Kaidou-san's competition with Kamui, Kaidou-san's presence was always welcome. Kaidou-san always represented faithfulness and security, the one person she counted on despite her father.

So Rei Hino was unable to answer for awhile. Her mouth tried to mutter empty syllables for a few moments trying to compose a word and when she was able to remove her hand free from his grasp, she could only smile at Kaidou-san for his intentions. It was a very sincere smile, and one borne out of sympathy.

_Tomodachi. _Kaidou-san knew in his heart that this was the only thing she wanted to tell him, but it was better left unuttered despite Kaidou-san's bitter acceptance.

"Kindred spirits," Kaidou-san muttered softly.

"_Nani_?"

"I prefer for us to be kindred spirits instead of just friends, Rei-san," he told her, echoing the phrase she used six years ago after realizing that they were of the same thought.

Rei nodded, appreciating it greatly. "Kindred spirits," she repeated softly to agree.

"We both seem to be stubborn...we do not give up. Even I will not rest until I have done everything to return you back to your old self. Maybe even deliver Asano-san to you if that's what it takes." Kaidou-san chuckled after that, only because he knew he was not good at making jokes to change the subject.

"Deliver Asano-san? There are limits, even to your control," Rei remarked, laughing a little herself.

"But we still do not give up. You will not give up, won't you...Rei-san?"

She thought that he was still in the midst of joking but instead, Rei nodded, seeing the now serious look on Kaidou-san's face that immediately touched her, and just in time for the breeze to blow past her face. The breeze only induced the inevitable, for the tears she controlled were now released by the sting of this wind.

"You must allow me to thank you, Kaidou-san…." she told him, while uncomfortably feeling a single tear run down her cheek. "Just like before, your presence is a great comfort. I only wish that the time had been different, and then…."

More tears flowed but those were not for him. Those were for Kamui Asano. Yet for all they are, Hisato Kaidou found himself to be completely unprepared to be devastated upon seeing them, that he could not resist but run closer to Rei Hino's side and swipe her entire body unto his embrace.

"It is enough, Rei-san…." Kaidou-san whispered. " One tear is enough. Whatever it takes…I will not allow it. "

It was a comfortable silence, a very easy peace that Kaidou-san left with Rei. He wished to linger a little more, debating in his head to take advantage of that opportunity of discarding his own rival in her presence. The accident that Kamui Asano experienced was supposed to be Hisato Kaidou's biggest opportunity. But the part of him vowing to be unselfish had a bigger voice so that when Kaidou-san bid Rei goodbye, he was very sure that he would be on that path to make that voice win.

* * *

…

_Sangatsu. Tsuitachi. (March 1)_

"Are you leaving soon… Aino-san?"

Minako froze midway in arranging the scarf around her neck as though time stops every minute that Kenta Maeda mentions her name. Or even remotely talks to her. (This has actually been a problem on the first two days of practice that Kenta Maeda got on board because Minako was in complete disbelief and awe that he was back on the play. It caused a lot of problems with director Takei-_sensei _screaming at her to get it right.)

"_A-anooo…._ I-I am… s-someone's waiting f-for me," Minako stammered at the simple question and shook her head many times to get out of that manic trance. She knows she can still carry a conversation despite the supreme hotness of Kenta Maeda standing in front of her!

"_Aah…_" said Kenta. He was really disappointed. "I was just talking to Takei-sensei to make some minor changes to your character."

"Minor changes?" MInako asked sounding completely surprised.

Kenta Maeda nodded. "I think your character sounds a little too dramatic and serious. I made her so that she would at least sound more cheerful and friendly, and with a few flaws. This way, she'd be perfect for me."

That sounded a little bit like what Minako wanted to hear. "P-Perfect for you, Kenta-san?"

"Yes… for my character."

"_Sou…_" Minako said with a sigh.

"Is there anything wrong?"

_Baka….what did I say?_ Minako was still stuck in daydreaming, thinking that Kenta could be referring to her so she painfully thought of a quick excuse at the moment. "Well, just a little bit, Kenta-san," she began to say with a grin. "Well, there's nobody that's perfect for you. I mean, your character…. or for anybody."

Kenta's forehead crinkled in disappointment so he was silent and waited for Minako to continue her explanation.

"What I mean is that art just mirrors life. We're playing a story that everybody can relate to. And nobody has found a person in this world that's perfect for them. I mean…" Minako coughed. "...have you?"

The crinkle in Kenta's forehead deepened and then disappeared as he now had a good thought regarding Minako's question. "I was told…" Kenta answered seriously. "...that she has been found."

That just struck a huge cord with Minako, as if she had been doused with water as cool as ice. "_Sou…_" she remarked without breathing.

"I am sorry to disappoint you...Takei-sensei has approved these minor changes," Kenta continued to speak without noticing Minako's frozen state. "It's just that I thought that putting in a few small changes would suit your personality that you would naturally flow in it with me. I now feel ashamed for not consulting you."

"_Daijoubu… _Kenta-san," Minako assured in a soft voice. "I trust your judgment."

"_Arigatou_," he thanked with an appreciative smile and took a few moments arguing in his mind if he should give in to his curiosity but ended up asking anyway. "What about you, Aino-san?"

"Me?"

Kenta nodded. "Have you found a person that's perfect for you?"

Has she? She was just standing in front of the hotly reincarnated version of the _shittenou_ she once loved. "I guess I am still searching for him." It was not a lie. Kunzite was still lost that he has not remembered her.

"I understand," Kenta replied. He was good at keeping a steady disposition despite that inescapable jolt of excitement that he could not understand. "_Ja mata_, Aino-san."

"_Ja…." _

It was the first personal discussion with Kenta Maeda since the last battle with Elis and he had lost part of his memories. And it was actually heartbreaking. Of all the things she learned, it was that Kenta-san seems to have moved on and found the perfect woman. She felt so let down that Minako's scarf remained undone even after Kenta left and she was now meeting Rei outside of the theater. When Minako saw Rei, she gave her the biggest smile as she had been successful in pulling Rei out of seclusion in Hikawa Jinja.

"Rei-chan! I'm so glad that you have come! Are you ready to go shopping?"

"_Unn…_" Rei nodded, looking apprehensively at Minako as they started walking. "What is wrong, Minako-chan?"

"Eh? Nothing wrong!"

"_Wakatta..._it is hard that maybe…Kenta-san has not remembered yet?"

There was now a lag in Minako's stride. She guessed that Rei probably saw the pain in her smile, yet for Rei's sake, she kept it on. "_Daijoubu, _Rei-chan! You should not be reminded of these things! It's time for us to just enjoy the day!"

Rei exhaled a heavy mist in the air and continued to drag on with Minako's slow pace. "Maybe I am different than most people. There will be a day that Kamui gets married to Suzaku-sama and then I will have to clear my mind completely of him. But for now...even though it hurts, I don't want to forget him."

Minako's smile faded and she blew the same heavy mist. "They were good memories, Rei-chan," Minako comforted, smiling weakly.

"Which is why I understand if you are still holding on to him...to Kenta-san," Rei said gently with her turn to smile weakly at Minako.

It took awhile before Minako could answer because she felt uneasy to discuss such a sensitive topic to Rei but with what was just said, it did seem that Rei was already on the verge of recovering, or at least of coping. "Kenta-san may have already chosen someone else," Minako replied weakly. "And I guess I too wasn't counting on it…and I have consulted a good _omi-ai_ to find someone else for me."

"_Hontou?_ I really thought that you were always the one who's optimistic about this."

"I learned it just now… right before I came out to meet you. And somehow, he had told me that there was someone else…."

"Are you sure, Minako-chan?"

Minako nodded with a heavy sigh.

"Did he…" Rei paused for a moment to swallow hard before she could ask. "...did he tell you that he has decided to move on?"

"No…."

"_Unn…" _Rei nodded. "Then you should not give up yet, Minako."

Rei continued to walk slowly dragging her steps, leaving Minako as she stopped to ponder at Rei's words. _So that was it_-a completely understandable and valid reason as to why Rei chose to remain in seclusion. What hard words for Kamui to say. Yet despite all that, Rei thought that it was worth it for Minako not to give up.

After all, even if Kenta thought he has found his perfect woman, he had found her without his memories. If he had all of them back, including the ones of him in his very far past, the ones of him sharing something with her, there was still a chance. And for someone like Minako, a glimmer of hope is all she needed to return to her bubbly self.

"Rei-chan!" Minako called out excitedly, jogging to catch up with Rei. "There is a new place at Omotesando that we should try out before we go shopping."

Minako bumped hips with Rei as she linked their arms together. "I'm going to treat you to the tasty _Omurice!_" she announced cheerfully.

Rei was only pleased to see the glow back in Minako's eyes and everything about her smiling for real. "_Yoshi!_ It's not everyday I get treated in Ometesando by Minako-chan!"

"Of course!" Minako smiled. "_Arigatou, _Rei-chan...for believing. I'm not giving up…for all of us! It will just be a matter of time before everything gets back in place."

Rei nodded and smiled at Minako. Inside of her, doubts flooded her thoughts that Minako's words would come true. But Minako was grinning from ear to ear after all that encouragement. It was at least a good indication that one of them would carry enough courage to believe that anything is possible.

* * *

…

_Sangatsu. Itsuka. (March 5)_

"_Oi..._Kamui…this is a neat office you have."

With his jaw propped open, Kamui still managed to pull Nishida's sleeve before the latter could prop a step out the door.

"They insisted to see _your_ office. And there is no other place available for you guys to talk," Nishida sternly replied as he gently pulled from Kamui's grasp on his sleeve. Kamui was not successful to grab onto his valet any longer as Nishida swiftly closed the door between them, hoping for this instant move of providence that one of his friends would at least put some sense back into his young master since they were all part of his accident.

Nishida was referring to Kamui's famous friends, who all used to hang out at the Asano residence and not in Kamui's place of work. Kamui had only asked Kenta to come and see him in relation to some of Kenta's "dreams" and memories in order to get some final advice before he is to embark on his engagement, as Kamui now remembers Kenta to be more rational than Sanjounin. Of course, Kamui needed rational and logical advice which is why he never thought of asking Soujirou. But all of them were at "his" office now.

"You didn't say that your office was this big," Sanjounin said, marveling at the surroundings.

Kamui huffed and went straight to the huge desk and sat on the sofa opposite it where Kenta sat on the other end. "Because I do not have an office. I share a desk along with my father's staff outside," he told them.

"Unbelievable_…_" Sanjounin casually remarked, happily rocking the huge chair where he sat opposite Kamui and Kenta. "This is the prime minister's office!"

"And you are sitting on the prime minister's chair!" Soujirou exclaimed with a gasp. "How does it feel like?"

"Powerful!" Sanjounin said in a booming voice in English and with a proud grin on his face.

"I think we should go to another place to meet then, Kamui?" Kenta asked uneasily.

"Asano-dono wouldn't mind!" Sanjounin said confidently while rocking Asano-dono's chair. "He is the coolest of all prime ministers and it's not like we are strangers to him."

"_Eeto…_ it is all right. My father is in a closed-door meeting with some of his cabinet appointees," Kamui said with his head bowed. Sanjounin was right. His father wouldn't mind him meeting his friends even in the prime minister's office at all. What Kamui was worried about was Sanjounin, who in his past and present life, managed to see through his thoughts and feelings, and who could risk seeing that he had already remembered everything. But it would be more obvious to act strange in front of Sanjounin.

"This would only be short as I have another meeting, Kenta-kun," Kamui stated his alibi instead. It is the truth though. He was to be in another meeting with Hino-dono to get his answer on reconsidering his father's appointment but that won't be in another two hours.

"Good...I have brought them here for us to hear your side of the story," Kenta explained in a very serious and business-like tone, as if affected by the place.

"I have the dream of Elis...and Endymion, our prince…." Kamui announced immediately.

"_Masaka..._so it is real…." Sanjounin remarked excitedly, sitting straight in his chair to listen.

"It is real! That's what I keep telling you!" Soujirou interjected. "He is the common thing that links us and I am sure that he is the cause of our accident!"

"Then how come you cannot tell us exactly how we have lost part of our memories, Soujirou-kun?" asked Sanjounin.

"Because there were so many memories, including that of my past life. The life I led in another lifetime as a ruler of a kingdom on Earth…. you are all going to laugh again," Soujirou discontinued his speech as he waited with a frown for the jokes to be thrown at him.

"Kamui has the same dreams as we all do now, Soujirou-kun. It is not a joke," Sanjounin assured seriously.

"I am relieved...as I was saying," Soujirou continued. "There is this other lifetime and the lifetime now. Too many memories. Even the ones I remember and the ones I do not remember come to me as though I was struck with lightning many times. I could feel them all happening as though I was in it...but it would take me awhile to understand which ones belong to the past and to the present."

"Which would explain why Soujirou cannot remember the exact events yet….and tell us." Kenta sounded disappointed.

"But the final battle with Elis caused us some of our memories, especially the last few months...the parts that deal with the _senshi_," Soujirou told them.

"_Senshi?_" Sanjounin repeated to ask, but his face showed a smile. "Unbelievable, Soujirou! That is part of my song… Dream Destiny! She battled with me...this mysterious _senshi…_ yet she is who I am looking for! Don't you remember my _senshi_, Soujirou?"

Soujirou shook his head. "We all had individual battles and I was only in my own battle so I cannot remember yours."

"Damn_..._I thought that with your remembrance, we'd be so close," Sanjounin replied in disappointment. "Morie-san has booked an initial concert for me at Tokyo Dome in the next two weeks and nobody has accurately decoded my song!"

Kenta shrugged and stood up, sighing. "Aside from Soujirou, we are all not close to regaining our lost memories. At least now with Kamui's dream, we are at least sure that we know the reason for our accident."

By this time, Kamui was still resting his elbows on his knees with his head bowed as he sat. The conversation was making him antsy. This was not the justification for the decision he was about to make.

"Why do we need to regain it? Can't we just move forward?" Kamui asked, trying to mask his despair.

"What are you saying, Kamui?" Sanjounin asked in disbelief. "For once, I would love to be in the same boat as Soujirou! Why wouldn't you?"

"Our past lives clearly do not define us, Sanjou-kun," Kamui tried his best to explain calmly. "We are not the same people as we are in our past lives. We have made a different life for ourselves here in this life. You can clearly see that we are in the office of the prime minister himself, and I am his only son. I am not one of the kings under a prince of Earth anymore! Why can't we move forward with the good fortune we have in this life rather than try to remember the past?"

Sanjounin and Kenta fell silent at the point Kamui presented. They took a moment to ask themselves why it was necessary for them to remember when Kamui was indeed right that the present life they lead now is more important for their future. They took more moments to justify the reason and found none but an aching desire to satiate their curiosity and longing, especially for their _senshi_ and prince. It was an illogical reason so they dared not tell each other.

But Soujirou was silent for a long time for a different reason. He too was recalling Kamui's words to heart but not to provide a rebuttal for its meaning. "Kamui-kun…" Soujirou hesitantly began. "I have never mentioned it before and it was not until this point that I knew… that we are actually kings under a prince of Earth."

"Soujirou-kun, we all dreamt that we are under a prince and we are all searching for him," Kamui said nervously.

"_Hai..._but I did not really tell you that in the past, we were actually kings…"

Sanjounin and Kenta looked deep at Kamui after hearing those words from Soujirou.

"Kamui-kun...does this mean that you remember?" Kenta beat Sanjounin into asking, setting Kamui's insides into alarm.

"Kamui...if you can remember, do not hide it from us," Sanjounin pleaded. "At least, let me know if you remember any little memory about my _senshi_."

Despite the penetrating gazes and the alarm inside of him, Kamui learned early in life how to dodge through a hard question through living vicariously in his father's shadow.

With the signature Asano smirk, Kamui answered with a simple, "No," leading to disappointed sighs from everyone, including Soujirou.

"I wish I knew...and then my dilemma would've ended," Kamui added with everyone not noticing how he gulped with that reply. In the political world, the Asanos were masters at bluff, but telling a lie was not something that Kamui was proud of. In his hardest days with politicians, he always conquered the urge to do it even if it merited the necessity. That was not so in this case.

"Then Kamui, does that mean that you would like to go on with your engagement to the Crown Princess despite not remembering many things about her?" Sanjounin asked, sounding completely concerned.

Kamui nodded. "As I said, why shouldn't we go on with the good fortune that we have in this life?" He was still bluffing.

Sanjounin and Kenta nodded to acknowledge and proceeded with their silence, as they have not yet found a good way to justify their continued search for their _senshi_ and prince out loud.

"_Yoshi…_ I have a meeting to attend to then," Kamui announced as he stood, looking at his watch. It was still an hour to go before his meeting with Hino-dono but bid his leave politely with his friends with the two of them still completely silent with their last thought.

It would seem that Kamui was successful in drowning out the emotions from that conversation. Even Sanjounin who felt compelled to say something to him could not argue with Kamui's elegant logic. Kamui's success would've been better if when he stepped out the door, there was no one to put some more reason into him. Soujirou was swift enough to grab a hold of Kamui's sleeve as he stepped into that corridor on the way to Hino-dono's office.

"If you can do everything in your power to regain the memories you have lost, you should do it, Kamui," Soujirou wholeheartedly said to him. "There is no sensible reason. Just the smallest chance that there may be something in that small part of your past that is worth it. I cannot completely remember the rest about you during that time, but I am sure that there is something there that you would not regret."

Of course, Kamui needed rational and logical advice which is why he never thought of asking Soujirou. The answer came anyway. Soujirou left without waiting for Kamui to answer. The former expected that he would be laughed at anyway. Although Kamui didn't, he still carried on to Hino-dono's office with his head held high dismissing Soujirou's statement because it lacked the necessary justification he was waiting for that day.

But he was unaware that this was only a foreshadowing of more of his guilt to haunt him.

One hour early into the meeting with Hino-dono, Ono-san pleasantly greeted that he would now be allowed into Hino-dono's office despite his extraordinary punctuality. At first, Kamui thought nothing of it. Hino-dono was probably impressed with him being there early and was already keen on reconsidering the proposal of his father to have Hino-dono appointed as Chief Cabinet Secretary.

Kamui couldn't have been more wrong in predicting that he would have a very productive and speedy meeting when he saw Kaidou-san leaning on his back on the front of Hino-dono's desk. There was no one else in the room except for the one he recognized completely as his rival.

"_Konnichiwa, _Asano-san," Kaidou-san greeted with a bow.

"_Konnichiwa, _Kaidou-san," Kamui replied, uneasily standing where he was. "Where is Hino-dono?"

"He has given me the liberty to preside over this," Kaidou-san mentioned confidently. "Therefore, I will go through this meeting with you on his behalf."

"Very well, Kaidou-san," Kamui said, offering the leather folder containing his father's proposal to Kaidou-san. "Kindly proceed at your own convenience." (Kamui was exceedingly polite despite meeting Kaidou-san as this involved a high level of agenda on behalf of his father, the prime minister.)

Kaidou-san took the leather folder with both hands and gave a short bow to acknowledge. "Before anything else, I would like to discuss another proposal," he said, while officially holding on to the proposal.

"What is it, Kaidou-san?"

"Regarding my supposed proposal to Hino-dono's daughter."

It was a complete surprise for that topic to be mentioned in an official meeting but just the same, Kamui held his breath before replying further.

"It is true that I have previously asked Hino-dono for his permission to marry his daughter. But his recent announcement about our engagement was made in error."

Hearing this cause Kamui to freeze. The justification he was waiting for can't seem to come to him when he direly requested it. Probably more proof of his loss where he was not even in a position to admit that he made the wrong decision.

And to add more insult to injury. Kaidou-san continued to tell him, "I am not engaged to Hino Rei-san."

- tsuzuku -

* * *

**chiisai noto:**

Remember, Kamui = Jadeite. Kenta = Kunzite. Soujirou = Zoicite. Sanjounin = Nephrite. Just a little reminder. ;) Some people have told me that they could not foresee Rei to just be 'giving up' everything just to be a politician's wife for Kamui. But don't forget the Casablanca Memories episode in the manga where in the scene that she pulled Kaidou-san for a kiss, she said, "If you want to be my father's successor, all you have to do is marry me." So there you have it. Besides, you all know our Rei, even in the manga. She's too passionate in her work in the shrine to just give it up like that. In love, these are not necessarily sacrifices. Marriage in the real world requires some adjustments. If you love someone, that's just one of things you have to do. In the manga, Rei was willing to for that reason so I made her up in the same vein. By the way, I'm still writing a few more chapters. That's right… just a few more. We're near the end, folks! And I hope to finish this very soon. I'm not leaving out Kaidou-san, as you can see in this chapter. Let's see how this will end.


End file.
